Cerinian Fox
by hoyteca
Summary: A request. Fox crash lands on Cerinia, meets Krystal, and undergoes some changes. Also, some canonically dead characters are alive.
1. Chapter 1

*Note: This story was a request, so some liberties were taken that I normally wouldn't take. Long story short, Fox's parents aren't dead or sucked into that Vegas dimension and Andross didn't explode and die when defeated. Also, Cerinia didn't explode or get that lethal movie cough or whatever. Also, to the requester, sorry about the wait. This is the third rewrite.

*Prologue*

It had been two years since James McCloud defeated Andross. Every year, this compelled Fox to come up with ways to try to live up to the McCloud name. This year, Fox decided to get his father an amazing birthday gift. Unsatisfied with what he could afford in the Lylat System, Fox decided to investigate nearby systems. Surely, they would have something amazing that Fox could legally obtain.

Near a planet named Cerinia, Fox's arwing picked up signals that seemed Lylatian in nature. Coming closer to investigate, Fox was ambushed by remnants of the Andronian military. He managed to destroy the ships, but his ship was heavily damaged in the process. With no other option, Fox decided to land on Cerinia.

AS he approached the ground, the ship's systems began to fail. The life support and controls lost all power. Eventually, the arwing crashed hard into the planet with only the G-diffuser keeping Fox's organs from liquifying from the impact. Injured, Fox quickly lost consciousness.

*Chapter One*

A young blue vixen was successfully fending off a raid by the Andronian troops when she saw Fox's arwing slam into the ground not too far away. Curious, Krystal decided to investigate.

Upon closer inspection, Krystal noticed that the ship's markings weren't Andronian and that it appeared to have suffered heavy damage. Perhaps the ship had fought the invaders.

Looking through the canopy, she saw that the occupant was injured. Using her staff, she pried open the canopy and pulled the occupant out. He was alive, but injured. Lifting him over her shoulders, she carried him back to her village temple.

"So, what do you think?" she asked the priestess as she carefully lifted Fox onto a stone table.

"He doesn't appear to be one of the invaders." the hawk said, "His injuries are survivable if we hurry."

Krystal watched as the priestess grabbed some jars from a shelf. She then stripped Fox before pouring the contents of the jars onto him. Krystal watched as the priestess tirelessly rubbed the liquids into Fox's fur.

"His skin will absorb the medicine." she explained as she put the jars back, "It was the only way to get it into him without the risk of choking."

The priestess gave Fox's body a quick examination before turning to Krystal.

"He is your responsibility." the priestess warned Krystal, "Live or dead, friend or foe, his fate is in your hands, Krystal. It would be your responsibility to watch over him just as it would be your responsibility to bury him should he die or even kill him should he prove foe."

Krystal nodded as the priestess left for her study. This wasn't the first time the priestess put someone under her care, though he was the first male. She didn't have to wait long for him to wake.

"What happened?" Fox said with a groan as he sat up on the table, "Why am I naked?"

"Your ship crashed." Krystal explained, "After I carried you here, we stripped you to better treat your injuries."

Krystal examined him closely as he got himself off the table. The worst of his injuries appear to have healed. It appeared she didn't need to bury another body yet.

Fox instinctively covered his manhood when he saw her examining him. Having unintentionally embarrassed him enough, Krystal handed Fox his clothes. She watched as he hurriedly got dressed.

"So, is there anywhere near here I can get my ship fixed?" Fox asked.

"We have some parts you can use, but it won't be enough." Krystal explained, "To get your ship in the air again, we'll need to raid the nearby Andronian base."

Raid? Andronian base? Ever since James had formed Star Fox, Fox had dreamed of following in his footsteps. Now that he had the opportunity, Fox wondered what the catch was.

"There is no catch." Krystal said, seemingly reading his mind, "They're armed, they're bad, and they have what you need. For most people, the "armed and bad" part would be a pretty big catch."

"When can we start?" Fox asked. Krystal didn't know what to think of Fox's enthusiasm. She was glad her people had a willing ally, but his enthusiasm seemed almost suicidal.

"We'll prepare soon." Krystal told him, "And I want to emphasize that this will be a small raid to buy us some time. We can't make real progress against them without a lot more preparation."

"That's cool, I guess." Fox told her, disappointed, "How long are these preparations going to take?"

"A few days at the most." Krystal explained. She could sense a growing impatience in the young male. She needed to get his mind off the coming battle, lest he do something rash on her watch.

"It could be weeks before you can return to the skies." Krystal said as she opened the temple doors, "Perhaps you'd like to see the village you'd be calling home for the time being."

Fox shrugged and followed her out the door. The village was fairly small, Fox estimating it to be the home of no more than a few hundred residents. A single stone road, leading from the temple to the tall stone wall surrounding the village, was the only pavement in the entire village.

"It's... nice." Fox told her. He felt he should say something, but didn't know what.

"Follow me."

Fox followed Krystal to a large stone structure near the temple. Inside, Fox saw an arsenal of staffs and captured Andronian firearms. At the far end of the room was a large, glowing crystal.

"Grab a staff." Krystal ordered, "You don't want to run out of ammunition and you can't always count on fallen foes having the right ammunition."

Fox grabbed a staff. He could feel a power coursing through the metal shaft.

"That will be your weapon for the upcoming battle."

"Odd that you're handing a complete stranger a weapon." Fox thought out loud.

"You're not a foe." Krystal said matter-of-factly, "Your only desire is to fight the Andronians and return home."

"You seem so sure."

"Your mind is an open book." Krystal told him bluntly, "Plus, it wouldn't be beneficial for you to betray us. We're your only hope of leaving. Betray us and you're stuck here."

Fox couldn't argue with that logic, though that remark about his mind left him a little confused. His mind was an open book? Was that a local saying?

"My name's Krystal, by the way."

"I'm Fox."

Fox looked away after the awkward introduction. At least they knew each other's name.

"So, do you want to get something to eat?" Krystal asked. Why was she feeling awkward suddenly? Was it because she waited until just now to exchange names? At least he felt awkward too. Or did that make things worse? Of all the mysteries in life, why did one of them have to be this new awkwardness?

"Yes."

Krystal appreciated his short answer.

"Follow me." she commanded as they left the structure. Down the stone road, they reached a market. After giving a merchant a few coins, she handed Fox a fruit. Biting into it, Fox was greeted by a slightly sour flavor. It wasn't bad, just unexpected.

While Fox finished his fruit, Krystal stood there awkwardly. What should they do now? She'd train him in using his weapon, but the training grounds were currently being used by the guards. She didn't have this issue when priestesses in training were put under her care.

"I know that look." Fox told her, "Thinking of what you should do now? My friend Falco had that look a lot."

"I don't have friends." Krystal told him, "I was always too busy. Tell me about Falco."

"There's not much to say. He's a blue pheasant with a cocky attitude. He's nice, but also a jerk. Can't stand not being the best. That's about it."

Krystal could empathize. She met quite a few people who couldn't settle for being second best at anything. It certainly made her lack of friends seem like less of a problem. Though it might be nice to have someone who cared about her.

"It's getting late." Krystal told Fox as dusk quickly approached, "We should head back to my place."

Fox followed Krystal as she led him to her small wooden house. She directed him to the small bed in the corner.

"So, do you have a bed for guests or..."

"Get in." Krystal commanded.

"But..."

"Customs dictate those under my care sleep in a bed, not on the ground." Krystal firmly insisted. There was something about this vixen that compelled Fox to avoid her bad side. Sensing her growing annoyance, Fox quickly complied.

"Are you sure you don't want to bend a rule or two?" Fox asked as Krystal crawled in bed next to him, "I've slept on worse floors."

"I like the warmth." Krystal explained. Fox sighed. The quicker he went to sleep, the sooner he'd wake up and put this awkward episode behind him. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long for his ship to get repaired.

While Fox quickly fell asleep, Krystal kept thinking about Fox. Why did he have to make this awkward? Her culture's rules on hospitality were fairly strict and she wasn't going to commit a faux pas just because of this todd. This soft, warm todd. Or was the proper term for a male fox a reynard? Why a completely different word? Why not a masculine prefix or suffix? Like "ma-" for "masculine? Mafox. And she a fefox. Or hefox and shefox?

Krystal shook the thoughts out of her head as she slowly fell asleep. Now as the time for sleep, not thinking. Tomorrow was a busy day and she didn't want to start it exhausted.


	2. Chapter 2

*Chapter Two*

Krystal woke the next morning wrapped around Fox's warm body. It was a comforting feeling she hadn't felt since childhood. She was glad he was still asleep, lest he choose to ruin this welcome sensation.

She knew all good things must come to an end. After an hour of enjoying his warmth, she reluctantly crawled out of bed. She was glad the only other person in her home was asleep. If anyone else found out, they'd never let her live it down.

Fox awoke not long after.

"Good morning." Fox greeted as he slowly crawled out of bed, "What are we doing today?"

"Training." Krystal answered, "It wouldn't look good if you died on your first raid here. But first, we eat."

Fox nodded as he grabbed his staff and followed her outside. After a small breakfast, Krystal took him to a small training area.

"Our first lesson is melee combat." Krystal explained as she wacked a training dummy with her staff, "These staffs are fairly cheap and can take a lot of abuse, so don't be afraid to strike with all your force."

Krystal gave the dummy a few more wacks before motioning for Fox to do the same. Fox gave the dummy a few satisfying wacks.

"Those were a good first few wacks." Krystal said as she continued her lesson, "We should work on your technique before we go over your staff's hidden features. To get the most power, you need to use your entire body. The force doesn't start at the arms or even the shoulders. It begins with the feet. Your feet start the process, your legs add force, your body adds more force, your shoulders add more force, and, finally, your arms add the final bit of force. Get the proper technique down and it'll be almost instant. Pay attention to my entire body as I do it in slow motion."

Fox stood back and watched as Krystal demonstrated the technique. Fox watched as individual muscle groups added force to the strike. It looked like a wave that started with the feet and ended at the target dummy. After Krystal stepped aside, Fox tried to replicate her technique. It wasn't the best attempt, it looked like he did less damage to the dummy, but it was a start.

"Just keep working on it." Krystal told him, "It's like a wave. Each muscle adds energy to the wave. At the start, some of that energy will cancel out. With time, you'll get the timing down and the energy from the muscles will increase the size of the wave. With practice, you could have it down by the end of the day. Not perfect, not even anywhere near as good as someone who's done it for years, but you'll have the basic timing down."

Fox spent the next few hours working on his technique. By noon, his timing was still fairly poor, but he still wound up doing more damage with the technique than without. By now, he could feel which muscles were adding power to the wave and which were still working against him.

"That's enough practice for now." Krystal told him, "We'll eat some lunch before we continue."

The pair walked to the marketplace. Krystal got the pair some fruit and some cooked meat. Fox was unfamiliar with the meat, unable to even determine if it were mammal, bird, reptile, or even fish, but it wasn't bad.

"It's time to resume our training." Krystal told Fox. For the next several hours, Krystal watched Fox work on his swing. Over time, his technique improved.

"You're certainly doing better." Krystal told him, "It's a shame the attack is in a few days. In a few weeks, you would have been better than most of our warriors."

Krystal sighed. He wouldn't get a chance to get more training than an expendable, diversionary "warrior". As it stood, they didn't have the population to train anyone to be expendable.

As she watched, Fox formulated attack plans in his head. If they were attacking an Andronian outpost, Fox could see them mounting a simple assault with minimal casualties. All it took was avoiding the machine gun nest, since Andronian soldiers weren't known for being the best shots.

A proper base, even a small one, would be more of a headache. Vital buildings would be protected by machine guns with overlapping coverage. There was also the occassional tank or two. If his Arwing wasn't grounded, he could easily take out the typical base in under a minute.

Soon, dusk came. The pair returned to Krystal's house. Krystal was impressed by his progress. Tomorrow, he'd learn about his staff's special features.


	3. Chapter 3

Krystal once again woke up before Fox. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something different about him this morning. She couldn't explain it, but he looked different. Lighter, perhaps. Was this a common occurance with his people? If she asked, would he even know what she was talking about?

She didn't get much time to dwell on these thoughts as he soon woke up.

"After breakfast, we train in your staff's special powers." Krystal announced as Fox crawled out of bed. She realized he hadn't had the opportunity to bathe as his scent was almost overwhelming.

Not as masculine as she thought his scent would be. Again, she didn't know much about his people. Perhaps his scent was what his people would consider masculine. She could ask, but she decided she could learn about his people later. For now, they had training to do.

After a quick breakfast, they returned to the training grounds.

"Our weapons work by forming a bond with their users." she explained, "Right now, your bond is weak. It takes time to strengthen it. The important thing is to keep using your staff until the bond is strong."

She then lifted her staff and fired a few fireballs at some wooden targets. The fireballs exploded when they hit their targets, but left no marks. Fox wondered about the inner workings of his staff. How did this "bond" work?

Krystal moved out of the way and motioned for Fox to give it a try.

"Don't overthink it." she told him, "Just point and shoot. Will it to fire and it will fire."

Fox pointed his staff at the targets and fired a few shots. They all missed, striking the wall behind the targets.

"Just adjust your aim and keep firing." Krystal told him, "Eventually, you'll be able to sense what your staff is aimed at. It's all about the bond."

Fox nodded and kept firing. After about a half hour, he finally hit a target. An hour later, he was hitting a target about once every dozen shots.

Krystal had to admit he was a fast learner. Probably had years of combat experience. Maybe fought in a major war. Definitely learned faster than just about any one else firing their staff for the first time.

Fox could feel himself getting better with the staff. It wasn't like a rifle, where you lined up your shot with the sights and adjusted for wind and elevation. It was more akin to pitching a baseball. You focused on the target and let muscle memory take care of the rest. Eventually, he was hitting a target with every other shot.

"You're a natural." Krystal explained as he lowered his staff.

"It's not too different from holding a rifle." Fox explained, "The only real difference is having to rely almost entirely on proprioception for accuracy rather than lining up the sights."

"Propree-seption?"

"The sense that tells you where each of your body parts is at any given moment." Fox explained, "Basically, feeling where everything is and what they're doing without looking."

Krystal nodded. Did his people have a big word for everything?

"Anyway, your staff has a variety of powers beyond simple fireballs." Krystal explained, "The other of the more universal powers are a short-ranged blast of literally freezing air, a quake, and a rocket power that lifts you to a higher elevation. It is possible to customize your staff with other powers, but those are best saved for when you're far more experienced. You don't want to get new powers before you're experienced enough to know what new powers you need. For now, we're sticking with just the fireballs. Why don't you try firing more shots at the target?"

Fox lifted his staff and continued firing. Krystal could definitely sense there was something different about him. He seemed a little smaller. His clothes seemed baggier. It could just be a trick of her mind or it could even be something that happens to everyone where he's from. She'd ask him at some point later. For now, she had to get him ready as fast as she could.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days were all basically the same. They woke up, ate, trained, ate again, trained again, ate again, and went to sleep. Krystal had him focus entirely on melee fighting and shooting fireballs. It was better to get him to do a few things great than a lot of things poorly and she could teach him the other powers after the battle, assuming he didn't leave immediately after getting his ship fixed.

While Fox trained by himself, Krystal looked over the battle plans. It would start as a simple raid. Afterward, they'd decide if they'd withdraw before the foe could mount a successful counterattack or finish the foe off. The latter would yield the parts Fox needed, but ran the risk of depleting her people's forces.

Krystal returned to Fox and noticed he had worked up a sweat. His odor had built up the last few days and he needed to bathe soon. The last thing they needed was his smell giving away their positions well before they could mount an attack.

There was something off about his scent, though.

"That's enough training for now." she told him, "Please follow me."

Fox stopped firing at targets and followed her to a part of the village he hadn't been to before. Inside the building she led him to was a large bath. The single chamber was lit by glowing crystals and sunlight flowing in through a glass roof. Fresh water flowed into the bath from a small stone waterway. Soaps were placed in a small wooden bowl by the edge of the water and towels were neatly folded on a nearby stone slab.

"Feel free to use this bath." she told him as she turned around to leave, "I'll return with fresh clothes."

As soon as Krystal left, Fox undressed and climbed into the bath. The water was cold, but tolerable. He grabbed a soap and began washing his fur. When he had washed the soap out of his face, he opened his eyes and was startled to find Krystal placing some clothes on a stone slab.

"Nothing I haven't seen before." Krystal said, noticing his sudden feelings of embarrassment.

"Can I get some privacy?" Fox asked.

"You don't need someone to get those hard-to-reach places?" she asked as she picked up his dirty clothes. Fox couldn't tell if she was joking or serious. Given he knew almost nothing about her people, co-ed bathing might not be too unusual for them. Or it could be even more taboo than in the Lylat System.

Krystal struggled to hold in her laughter when she saw how red his face became.

Krystal gave him his requested privacy and waited another five minutes before Fox had gotten out and dried off. He then put on his new loincloth and sandals and walked out.

"Let's hope I don't have to train on a windy day." Fox told her.

"Something you're trying to hide?" Krystal asked.

"Something nobody needs to see." Fox explained as they walked back to the training grounds. Krystal watched as Fox worked on his melee strikes until it was almost dusk. After a quick meal, they returned to Krystal's home.

"Please tell me you're hiding another bed somewhere."

"I only needed one bed." Krystal told him, "Besides, we both know all we're going to do is sleep."

Fox looked at her and instantly knew there were no alternatives. There was only one bed and neither was sleeping on the ground or staying awake all night.

"What's the big deal?" Krystal asked, "Neither of us are in the mood for anything else."

"I'm afraid I might get a... certain kind of dream." Fox confessed, "My clothes were fairly good at hiding the evidence."

"I don't care about that." Krystal sternly told him, "We both need sleep and I'm not going to allow my guest to sleep on the floor."

Fox knew better than to resist. No matter how good he got, she was far more experienced with staff combat than him. She was going to get him in her bed, even if she had to break his knees to keep him from leaving. He sighed in defeat and crawled into bed. This was going to be an awkward night.


	5. Chapter 5

Rain was falling hard as Fox and the villagers approached the small Andronian base. From the cover of the vegitation, Fox could clearly see the base's defenses. A pair of soldiers manned the base's sole machine gun while a dozen other guards sported shotguns and submachine guns. An additional pair carried flamethrowers.

The villagers had split into three groups. The first group was hiding near the other side of the base and would launch a diversionary attack. A second group would hide near the first and outflank any guards that tried to mount a counterattack. Fox and Krystal were in the third group that would raid the base once the defenders were distracted.

Before long, a war cry was heard from the first group, followed by the sounds of fireballs and gunfire. Before long, the machine gunner and his assistant were carrying their weapon away to deal with the diversionary attack. As soon as the machine gun could be heard dealing with the attack, Fox's group made their move.

From the safety of the forest, they launched an accurate volley of fire, easily taking out half the guards, including the flamethrower guards. Half the survivors returned fire while the other half ran for cover. A few more volleys and the survivors were wiped out.

The leader of Fox's group let out a war cry, signalling the group to charge the base before the defenders notice the new gap in their defenses. Fox leaped over a few bodies and kicked down a door, startling the soldiers inside. Fox and his group ran in and started beating them before they could process what had just happened. They repeated that for the three other buildings. They then ran to the other side of the base to take out the remaining guards.

With the last of the Andronian soldiers dead, Fox walked into the base's small garage. Inside was a pair of ships.

"Looks like my Arwing is as good as fixed."

"We'll have your ship up and running in no time." Krystal assured him, "Perhaps with some improvements."

"Improvements?" Fox asked, intrigued. Fox didn't figure Krystal would be into tinkering with spacecraft. Then again, he didn't know her for every long. She could be a tentacle monster in a vixen suit for all he knew.

"A few things here and there." Krystal suggested, "Maybe some extra space inside for cargo or supplies for extra long missions."

"Or a seat for a passenger." Fox added, "My team could have been spared so many headaches if we had those extra seats on those missions."

While Fox thought about the parts he'd need to cannibalize from the Andronian ships, Krystal stepped outside and looked at the sky. Her village had been feeling more and more cramped as the years went by. She had always wanted to see the stars, to visit a far off place, and Fox was going to help her. After all, he owed her.

Krystal returned to the garage and could have sworn she saw Cerinian markings on Fox. Warriors often had such markings after having served the Cerinian people in some way, especially those from far off worlds. She just didn't expect Fox to get them so fast.

"We could probably take the ships back to the village." Krystal suggested, "Would be faster than running back here every time you needed a part. The others would be more than willing to help, considering your service to the village."

Without saying a word, Krystal left and returned with a team of the village's strongest warriors. Fox grabbed some nearby tools and began disassembling the ships. One by one, the pieces were carried back to the village. Fox returned to find the parts neatly organized not far from his Arwing. Behind him was Krystal. Together, they began repairing, and improving, the Arwing.


	6. Chapter 6

For weeks, Fox and Krystal worked on Fox's Arwing. Quite a few things had to be completely replaced, eventually making the ship almost 40% Andronian tech. Fox even took Krystal's suggestion and added a second seat behind the pilot seat. The seat could even be folded back to make room for storage.

As they worked on the ship, Krystal wondered about life off of her planet. What was Fox's people like? Fox happily answered whatever question she had, but words were no substitute for experience.

She could also feel a bond forming between her and Fox. It started as a bond of friendship, but grew stronger and more emotionally intimate, at least for her. She knew she couldn't let the bond whither and die.

"Fox, I have a request."

Fox turned to her and listened.

"I want to visit your system." she told him, "I want to see your cities. I want to eat your food. I want to meet your people."

Fox was surprised, but knew this had to have been the reason for the extra seat she suggested. He contemplated his answer. On the one hand, this was a surprisingly big request. She'd need a guide, which would have to be him. On the other hand, he owed her. She was the reason he was even returning home at all. As far as he was concerned, she would have been well within her right to have killed the orange intruder on the spot, especially after whatever damage the Andronian soldiers had done.

"Okay." Fox agreed, "On one condition. You do as I say. My home has perils you'd be unacustomed to. My culture has different rules and protocols. It would be easy to find yourself alone and homeless or even dead."

"I agree to your condition." Krystal told him. She understood the risks and was a practical vixen. Plus, she had grown to like him.

A few days later, work was complete. It was impossible to tell the ship had ever taken damage or that it contained considerable enemy technology.

"Tomorrow, we'll leave for the Lylat System." Fox told Krystal.

"Or the next." Krystal suggested, "It's not every day a villager gets to leave for the stars. The village wants to throw a farewell party tomorrow."

It had been years since Fox had been to a party. His team could have had one after their victory in the Andronian War, but they were too exhausted and simply chose to sleep all day.

"A party sounds nice."

Krystal's eyes lit up.

"Thank you." Krystal said, "For everything."

Krystal could feel a psychic bond form with Fox. She could feel his desires and hidden insecurities. He could feel her growing desires. He could feel those desires cloud his mind.

"We are becoming one." Krystal told him through the link, though he didn't hear her. To him, it was just hormones messing with his mind. It was something to fight before it could cause him to do something he'd regret. To her, it was something special.

Without thinking, Fox kissed her. Krystal welcomed the kiss.

"Sorry." Fox apologized, "I... I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright." Krystal told him, disappointment dripping from her voice. She wanted it to go much further. She wanted to make him hers.

"It's running late." Fox told her, "We should head to your home and forget my little lapse in judgement."

Krystal grew a little annoyed. She could feel how close they had gotten to intamacy, to her claiming him as her mate. Why was he trying to sabotage it?

That night, she could sense him fighting his urges. He was frustrated because of how easy fighting those urges was before tonight. She responded by strengthing their bond. Her hormones seemingly flooded his body as their bond grew stronger until he couldn't take it anymore and instinct took over. That night, the bond was made permanent.

And far more intimate.


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning, Krystal woke up shortly before dawn. Unable to fall back asleep, she decided to climb out of bed and step outside for some fresh air.

The village was eerily calm. The usual sounds of villagers talking and warriors training was replaced by a peaceful silence. After a few minutes, Krystal returned to bed, enjoying the warmth of Fox's body.

A few hours later, Fox woke up.

"Holy...!" Fox shouted in shock as he practically jumped out of bed, just barely stopping himself from accidentally cursing in front of the vixen.

"What's wrong?" Krystal asked, curious as to what could have elicited such a reaction from him. Fox turned around and showed her his new b-cup breasts.

"...How?" Fox wondered out loud.

"Is this... not normal?" Krystal asked, "My knowledge of your people is limited."

"How am I going to explain this to everyone at home?" Fox asked, " 'Hey dad. I'm back and I have breasts and who knows what else. I'm sure you have a lot of awkward questions I have no way of answering.' "

"It's not that bad." Krystal assured him, "Let's not let it ruin the party. The villagers aren't going to care. They're going to think it's something that happens to all the men of your people."

"Falco's going to be worse." Fox said, "Dad's going to at least try to understand. Falco, on the other hand, isn't going to be able to let it go. He's loyal, but can also be a bit of a jerk."

"Relax." Krystal insisted, "Enjoy the party. There's no need to worry."

"I guess it won't be as visible underneath my flightsuit." Fox thought out loud.

"No flightsuit." Krystal demanded, "It's your last day here. The village will appreciate it if you wore your loincloth again, at least for today. I'll provide a top."

Fox sighed, reluctantly agreeing. Why let Falco's reaction tomorrow spoil the mood today? Fox put on the top Krystal handed him and reluctantly followed her outside.

To his relief, none of the other villager seemed to care about his new breasts. Instead, they all seemed preoccupied with the food and music.

"I told you there was no need to worry." Krystal told Fox as they approached the buffet table. Before them was an assortment of fruits, meats, and baked goods. Krystal grabbed some meat while Fox ate a green fruit. After they finished their early morning snack, Krystal led Fox to the center of the festivities where a few of the villagers were dancing in front of the band.

Fox watched the band for a moment. The band consisted of flute players, horn players, and a drummer. They were singing, but they didn't seem to be singing in any real language. Instead, it seemed to be an odd assortment of sounds matching the beat and notes from the instruments.

Krystal grabbed Fox's hands as she led him into an unfamiliar dance. Fox tried awkwardly to follow her lead, but he could feel he was at least a few steps behind.

As the hours flew by, the villagers each wished the pair luck on their trip to the Lylat System. Fox didn't know if they were "ignoring" his new breasts out of courtesy or if they simply didn't care, but he was glad they weren't making a big deal out of it.

Eventually, it came time for Krystal to make a speech she had prepared. The music and chatter stopped as Krystal led Fox onto a platform set up by the band. Fox grew uneasy as all eyes were on the pair.

"Tomorrow, he and I leave for his home." Krystal told the crowd, "I have only a few vague ideas of what this home of his will be like. I know not all the potential dangers of this new world, but I know I will return with tales to tell of those exotic lands. I will have met new people, visited new places, and eaten exotic foods. May there be peace between his world and ours. I may be but the first of our people to leave our home world. May future ventures to new worlds be many."

The crowd cheered as Krystal led Fox off the platform. As the planet's star began to set, the party gradually died down. The pair ate their dinner before Krystal took Fox to the temple.

"Greetings, priestess." Krystal greeted, "We have come for a blessing before we leave tomorrow."

"The journey will take you far from here." the hawk priestess told her, "His world will be alien to you just as ours was alien to him. Be aware of this as you will be an ambassador of our people."

"I understand." Krystal told her, "We will only get one first impression. May I represent our people well."

The priestess handed the pair robes, books, and crystals.

"From what we were able to gather from our foe, his system is a system of frequent war. Worlds are frequently devastated by our foe's ambitions. Don your garb and follow, as I grant you more than a mere blessing."

Fox and Krystal put on their robes and followed the hawk as she led them down a stone staircase. At the bottom was a large stone chamber. Odd bearded faces were carved into the walls.

"The spirits are not bound to individual worlds as we are." the hawk told them, "They travel between worlds, between systems. They have left their mark on many worlds, one of which resides in his system."

She led them into a glowing circle in the center of the chamber. A faint aura began to emit from their robes and their crystals glowed brightly.

"As priestesses, you will be able to call upon the spirits to aid you." she continued, "With their protections, you'll fear not the enemy. With their power, the enemy will learn to fear you."

After a few moments, the circle, as well as their crystals, stopped glowing brightly.

"The spirits have granted their blessing." the hawk told them, "Your journey will be a safe one. Be sure to read your books as they are your guides in your priestesshood. Now go and rest."

As the pair left the temple, rain began to fall. The pair donned their hoods as they walked to Krystal's home. Krystal couldn't thank Fox enough. Not only was he taking her to a new, exotic world, but she was made a full-fledged priestess out of what she guessed was neccessity.

As soon as they returned home, they took off their robes, laid their books and crystals down, and collapsed onto the bed. As Fox slowly drifted to sleep, Krystal wrapped her arms around him and pulled his body close. His wonderful musk filled her nose, but he smelled a little different. Krystal shrugged, attributing it to whatever gave him those breasts. Whatever the reason, the wonderful musk was better than it was a few days prior. After a few moment, she fell asleep too.


	8. Chapter 8

Fox woke up before Krystal. He tried to release himself from her embrace, but her grip was too strong. He sighed and decided to wait for her to wake. Her warm body felt nice as it spooned his. Why ruin the moment? After about a half hour, she awoke.

"Good morning." he greeted as she released him from her grip. He crawled out of bed and stretched.

"Very good morning." she replied with a smile as she climbed out of bed and headed for her clothes, "That was the best sleep I've had in a while." She grabbed a sack and began stuffing clothes into it. Fox, meanwhile, put the few things he had there in a pile.

"How's my priestess doing this morning?" Krystal asked.

"Good." Fox answered, "Just don't let Falco find out when we get to my system. We'll never hear the end of it."

Fox stepped out of sight behind a cabinet and had removed his loincloth to put on his uniform when he made an unwelcome discovery.

"What happened now?" he asked out loud. Krystal walked by to look and see what the problem was. She was shocked to find female bits where his manhood was supposed to be. Fox noticed her spying on him and quickly pulled up his flightsuit.

"How am I going to explain this?" Fox asked himself, " Hey Dad. You have a daughter now. Hey Falco. Your best guy friend, the guy you tell things to because he's a fellow guy, is now female. Hope that doesn't make things awkward."

Fox zipped up his suit and put on the rest of his uniform.

"It's not so bad." Krystal assured him, "It's not like you couldn't hide your changes in your suit."

"You're right." Fox told her, "It's not like either of them are in a hurry to see me naked."

The pair packed their things and left. As they headed for their ship, Fox contemplated what to do. He could have his body surgically returned to its original sex, but how he explain it? He really didn't want to have any awkward chats with his friends and family and he knew he couldn't hide it from them, no matter how hard he tried. He'd take combat over awkward chats anyday.

As they loaded their things into the ship, the villagers came over and cheerfully wished them a good voyage. The pair thanked the crowd and climbed into the craft. They waved to the crowd before closing the cockpit and taking off. As soon as they reached orbit, Fox entered the coordinates into the auto-pilot.

"Is something wrong?" Krystal asked, "You seem apprehensive."

"It's complicated." Fox told her, "I want to go home, but I also don't want to be anywhere near home. I'm stuck with options that all lead to painful awkwardness."

Krystal nodded her head.

The pair waited in silence for a few hours. Fox kept himself busy monitoring the instruments as well as the surrounding space. Krystal herself stared at the surrounding cosmos. This was the first time she had left her world. She wondered what was out there. New worlds. New peoples. The mere idea of countless peoples on countless worlds, all out there, many unaware of the others existence, filled her with new feelings she couldn't even begin to describe.

After about 12 hours, the Arwing automatically left warp speed and cruised toward the Great Fox. Fox scanned the giant ship and was relieved it was empty with the lone exception of Rob64. Sighing in relief, Fox punched in a code on his console and flew the ship into the opening hanger bay. He could at least shower and change as he thought about what he would do.


	9. Chapter 9

The pair exited the Arwing. Krystal was amazed at how big, yet cramped, the ship was. As he led her deeper into the ship, Krystal's curiosity grew. They passed numerous doors until they stopped at an unmarked door.

"This is my room." Fox told her as he led her inside. The room was fairly unremarkable. There was a bed, dresser, closet, and nightstand. The walls were fairly spartan save for a poster depicting an Arwing in space apparently zooming toward the viewer.

Fox opened up his dresser and pulled out some robes.

"We should probably wash up and change into some fresh clothes." Fox suggested as he motioned for her to follow him again. This time, he led her to a door marked "showers".

Inside, Krystal couldn't help but notice how different it sounded walking on the shower room tiles. She followed Fox to one of the shower stalls.

"Everything's labeled after the Slippy incident a few years back." Fox explained as he put her towel and robe on the bench near her stall, "Just ask if you need anything."

Fox walked into the neighboring stall and quickly undressed. Krystal undressed, putting her clothes on the bench, and looked at the knobs. One was labeled "water pressure" and the other "temperature".

After turning the water pressure knob, she was blasted with cold water. She had been quite accustomed to cold water on Cerinia, but decided to turn the other knob until the water was soothingly hot.

After a few minutes, Krystal turned the water pressure knob the other way until the water stopped. She dried herself mostly off with the towel before putting on the robe. She found Fox waiting for her by the door.

"I took the liberty of putting our clothes in the wash machine." Fox told her, "They should be washed and dried in a little over an hour."

"So, what do you do to pass the time?" Krystal asked.

"Train, mostly." Fox told her, "We also have a television, a small library, and a few board games."

Fox led her to the ship's small recreation room. She looked through the bookshelves, thinking how fortunate it was he shared the same language as the invaders of her planet. Eventually, she found a book on the various cultures of the Lylat System. Eager to learn about the places she would soon visit, she grabbed it and started reading on a nearby chair.

She was surprised at the variety of cultures, having been used to being exposed to the cultures of just her village and the invaders. Clothing, customs, and taboos varied greatly between the planets. As her people's sole ambassador to the outside universe, she hoped she'd be able to make a good first impression.

She thought for a moment, wondering if she should stick to her people's traditional garb. Would it be taboo? She'd have to ask Fox.

She then flipped to the chapter about greetings and other interactions. These seemed to be more homogenous, likely due to frequent contact between the groups.

"The clothes are done." Fox announced as he left her clothes on a table.

"I'm a little nervous." Krystal admitted, "As my planet's sole ambassador, a lot can go wrong that can't be fixed with an apology or a blade to the throat."

"Don't worry about it." Fox assured her, "Most people will be understanding and those that won't don't matter."

Krystal tried to find comfort in his words. Maybe she won't inadvertently start a war. What's the worst that could realistically happen?

"I'll let you get changed in the shower room." Fox told her, "There are no security cameras in there."

Krystal carried her clothes to the shower room and wondered what to wear. Her loin cloth was her most comfortable outfit, but the locals seemed more accustomed to more modest dress, at least if the book and Fox are to go by. She had her priestess robe, but would it be too unusual? After a few minutes, she decided on her loin cloth, at least for now. As she left the shower room, she overheard Fox talking with someone.

"I thought you were at Katt's place." Fox said.

"Things were getting a little weird." The other voice explained.

"When aren't things weird between you two?" Fox asked.

Krystal peeked around the corner to find Fox talking with a tall blue pheasant. The bird immediately spotted the blue vixen.

"Who's the girl?" Falco asked.

"Someone I met a few weeks ago." Fox told him, "She's new to the system and asked me to show her around. Don't try to make things weird between you two."

"Just don't 'do it' where we eat." The pheasant warned Fox, "We just got the smell out of the table after Slippy had a little 'friend' over. You have your own bed to get your pheremones all over."

"Hello, Fox's friend." Krystal greeted as she walked into the room, hoping she wasn't butchering the local greeting, "My name is Krystal."

"I'm Falco." the blue pheasant replied, surprised by how little she was wearing. Not even Katt showed that much skin. He felt the unnerving awkward silence fill the room. "Sooo... how did you two meet?"

"He was shot down near my village on Cerinia." Krystal explained, "He helped us take out an Andronian base and we helped him rebuild his ship. He then agreed to show me his home system."

The awkward silence returned as Falco fought the urge to stare at the nearly-naked woman in front of him. He didn't want to risk a demotion or being cut from the team.

"I'm unsure of my clothes." Krystal admitted, "Perhaps I can get local garb of my own."

Falco was surprised to see her get close to Fox without Fox getting awkward. She also came across as a little... friendly.

"I almost forgot to mention your dad's coming over." Falco told Fox, "He said something about getting a physical schematic from Rob."

Krystal was excited at the prospect of meeting Fox's father.

"We should probably think about leaving." Fox told Falco, "I promised her a tour of the system, not a tour of a cramped ship."

"I'd like to meet your father." Krystal told him.

"So, have you two..." Falco began asking,"Mated?"

"That's none of your business." Fox scolded Falco.

"Knowing how you'd answer that, that's a yes." Falco said with a smirk, "I can't say I blame you. Your father would be proud."

"You're lucky you're one of the best pilots." Fox warned, "Otherwise, you'd be fired and replaced the next day."

"Seriously, when you get in the mood, not on the table." Falco told Fox, "Your dad made it 'Slippy Rule #23'."

"Why can't he make 'Falco Rules'." Fox asked Falco, "There had to be a hundred rules that could have been 'inspired by' you."

"Rules don't get inspired by me." Falco explained, "That's not how it works. Arwing maneuvers get inspired by me and rules get inspired by Slippy. We still need to find out what you 'inspire'."

Fox was about to argue when he received a notification on his communicator.

"What's wrong?" Krystal asked when she noticed Fox looked like he was holding in inappropriate language.

"My dad's here."


	10. Chapter 10

Fox waited nervously in the recreation room. After hearing of his father's upcoming arrival, he had spent a few minutes in his room making sure his breasts were taped down securely. He had hoped to keep his awkward changes a secret until they were reversed. The last thing he needed was what would surely be the most awkward conversation he'd ever have with his dad.

Krystal sat down by his side, eagerly awaiting James's arrival. From what she had heard, he was a war hero until he went into semi-retirement after a long drought of jobs. She wondered what war stories he had. After what felt like hours, his ship finally boarded the docking bay. A few minutes later, James walked into the room.

"Welcome, Dad." Fox greeted.

"Hey son." James responded before noticing the blue vixen in the loin cloth, "Who's your friend?"

"Dad, this is Krystal." Fox introduced, "She's from a distant planet and is here to see some of the Lylat System. Krystal, this is my father."

"It's an honor to meet you." Krystal told James, "I'm told you were quite the war hero. Maybe we could exchange war stories."

"So, you've been to war?" James asked, intrigued.

"A few." Krystal replied, "Always on the front line. Had the honor of fighting alongside Fox in a battle back on Cerinia."

James was even more intrigued. It sounded like quite a bit happened on Cerinia, where ever that was.

"I should probably get going." James told Fox and Krystal as he headed toward the bridge, "Those schematics aren't going to grab themselves."

Outside the room, he ran into Falco.

"So, what's the deal with them?" James asked the pheasant.

"They mated." Falco blurted out as he walked into the recreation room.

"Falco!" Fox scolded.

"What?" James asked, confused, "Fox mated with someone?"

Krystal listened to them talk, wishing she had something to write notes with. She hoped the interaction could give her a better picture of the culture Fox grew up in.

"He didn't exactly deny it." Falco explained.

"It's true." Krystal added, "On one glorious night, an act of physical passion strengthened our bond beyond mere fellow warriors and instituted mental changes further strengthening said bond."

"...What?" James asked, slightly purplexed.

"I could explain it." Krystal offered.

Fox was regretting choosing to stay when he heard his father was coming over. The last thing he wanted his father to hear was his sex life.

"That sounds... interesting." James told her, "But General Pepper is going to kill me if I'm late with those schematics. Hope to talk to you again soon."

James was gone for a few minutes before returning to bid farewell. With him gone, Fox turned to Falco.

"Anyone else coming over?" Fox asked Falco.

"Not at the moment." Falco answered, "Though a few of Katt's friends want to hang out in saner crowds."

"If these friends rob us like the previous ones did, you're paying to replace what they steal." Fox warned.

"They won't." Falco assured Fox, "Trust me. You'd hardly know they were associated with Katt."

"One friend. And if anything turns up missing, they get searched before they're allowed to leave."

"Fine." Falco groaned, "As long as the same goes for your blue friend there. Not sure why your friends get a free pass."


	11. Chapter 11

Krystal watched as a tan female fennec walked into the recreation room and sat down on the couch across from her and Fox.

"Welcome aboard the Great Fox." Fox greeted, "My name is Fox McCloud and this is Krystal."

"My name is Fara Phoenix." she replied, "Though Katt's friends keep referring to me as 'Desert Vixen'. Please never refer to me as 'Desert Vixen'. Just call me Fara."

"Is there a story behind the nickname?" Fox asked.

"It's a long story best forgotten." Fara insisted.

Krystal watched the fennec vixen with uncertainty. Maybe it was just the subtle ways culture can influence body language, but something was making it hard for her to trust Fara.

"So, is Krystal a new teammate or..." inquired Fara.

"Right now, I'm just giving Krystal a little tour of the Lylat System." Fox explained, "It's a long story."

"I came here, both to learn about the people and to serve as an ambassador to my people." Krystal elaborated, "I hope to get a good idea of the peoples and cultures before returning to my village on Cerinia."

"So, tell us a little more about yourself." Fox asked Fara.

"I'm the daughter of the founder, president, and CEO of the Corneria Space Dynamics Company. I'm currently on the run from Katt's friends. There's not much to it. What about you guys?"

"I'm a warrior and priestess." Krystal told Fara.

"I'm the leader of the current Team Star Fox." Fox explained, "And, to be honest, I could use a little help with the tour I'm giving Krystal. She could learn a bit from other points of view that aren't Katt's friends or Falco."

"I could help." Fara assured Fox, "On the condition you never reveal my location to Katt's friends."

"Like I would be that cruel."

The pair laughed.

"You can hide out here for a while." Fox offered, "There's a guest room down the hall labeled 'guest room'. There's also a bathroom, also appropriately labeled."

"I can't thank you enough." Fara told Fox, surprising her with a big hug. Krystal was unsure of the sign of affection.

"So, where's Krystal staying?" Falco asked as he walked into the room.

"My room." Fox told him, "Before you say anything, I've already spent a few weeks with her. She's more trustworthy than the bulk of the people you've invited over."

"So I know a few 'unique' individuals."

"They're thieves, arsonists, and vandals." Fox countered, "Krystal's an experienced warrior and even she doesn't have their body count. Heck, combined, we don't have their average body count."

"Just remember you have a room." Falco grumbled, "It was hard enough cleaning up the stains Slippy and 'Amanda' left."

"Just remember to keep all this a secret from Katt and her friends." Fox ordered, "Last thing we need is them trying to influence Krystal."

Falco left in a huff, leaving the three foxes alone. Fox sighed, grabbed a book on space combat, and sat down. Krystal sat down next to him and curiously looked at what Fox was reading. Fara couldn't help but notice their body language. Perhaps Falco wasn't kidding.

After a while, Fox got tired and left the room. She excused himself and walked to the bathroom, grabbing a bathrobe from her room along the way. Making sure it was unoccupied, she locked the door behind her and got naked. She removed the bandages on her chest, freeing her breasts.

"Definitely not good." Fox muttered to herself, "Good thing only Krystal knows."

Fox hurriedly washed and dried herself before reapplying the bandages and put on the bathrobe. Fox then returned to her room and closed the door. She sat on her bed and began thinking. How long could she keep her changes a secret? What if she had to go to the hospital or was wounded on the battlefield? What if her voice changed to match? How would she explain it? How could she explain it?

And what about the markings? They were subtle, but noticeable if one looked hard enough. She'd probably just pass it off as a Cerinian thing. Fox did spend a few weeks stranded on the planet and knew better that to displease a society's entire military. It's not like Lylatian cultures didn't have their quirks.

Before long, Fox began to feel strange. Attributing it to her body's radical changes, she ignored it until she passed out on the bed.

Meanwhile, Krystal spent the time reading the book on space combat. She was intrigued by the idea of controlling a metal bird as it caused mass destruction against her foes. Apparently, this was how Fox fought most of her foes. Since she taught Fox how to fight with the staff, Fox would return the favor and teach Krystal how to pilot an Arwing.

Her attention then turned to Fara. What if Fara wanted Fox to teach her too? Would Fox teach them both or would Krystal have a competitor? That wouldn't be a problem if she were allowed to end their contest with a swift staff swing to the kneecaps.

Krystal shook her head. She was here to learn about the people and Fara was going to give her a lesson or two. If would be best to save the staff-related ideas for if Fara did turn out to be a competitor.

Suddenly, a strange feeling overcame Krystal.

"It's getting late." Krystal told Fara as she excused herself, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

Krystal returned to Fox's room to find her passed out on the bed. As Krystal approached Fox, the strange feeling became stronger. Krystal closed the door before moving Fox's sleeping body to a better position. She then stripped down to her undergarments, crawled into bed, and turned off the light. Krystal didn't know what was responsible for the strange feeling. All she knew was she had to be here.


	12. Chapter 12

Krystal woke up the next morning. She got up and looked through her clothes. Loin cloths and robes. She then looked toward Fox, she noticed Fox's new Cerinian markings were more visible.

Sighing, she decided to wear a robe. She was beginning to feel underdressed being the only person aboard the ship with most of her body exposed. If she didn't want to attract too much attention, she needed local dress.

She thought about asking Fox, though Fara might be a better option.

She looked at Fox, who was still sound asleep. The bandages and robe had come undone during the night, exposing her body. The markings were now hard to miss from a few feet away. She now looked almost completely Cerinian.

Krystal put on her Cerinian sandals and left the room. In the rec room, she found Fara reading a book in a bathrobe.

"Good morning." Fara greeted with a smile, "What's up?"

"Good morning, Fara." Krystal told her, "I need new clothes and felt I needed a female Lylatian perspective to help me choose."

"I can help." Fara offered, "It would be nice to hang out with someone that wasn't crazy. Just wait here while I grab something from my room."

Fara left and returned a few minutes later fully dressed and carrying a book. She handed the book to Krystal.

Krystal looked through the book, which was titled "Modern Cornerian Dress". She was fascinated by the different styles of dress. She was curious about "formal", though it appeared to be little more than ceremonial dress.

"I'll take you shopping." Fara told Krystal, "While we wait for Fox to wake, this book will give you an idea of what to get."

The book was filled with more styles of clothing than Krystal was used to. Pants. Shirts. Skirts. There didn't seem to be any loin cloths. Krystal flipped through pages until she found something familiar: boots.

Krystal had a soft spot for boots ever since Fox crash landed on her planet.

"I want boots." Krystal told Fara.

"I never took you for a boot girl." Fara told her.

"Fox wore boots." Krystal explained, "And I wore them, mostly when he wasn't looking."

Krystal looked closely at the selection. There were boots with laces and boots with zippers. Boots made of leather and boots made of materials Krystal never heard of. Boots that barely covered the ankles, boots that reached the knees, and boots that almost reached the hips. Krystal was already forming an image of what she wanted in her head.

"I'm going to see if Fox woke up yet." Krystal excused herself.

"I know a few places Katt's friends don't frequent." Fara told her, "It'll be nice to get some fresh air."

Krystal walked down the hall and into Fox's room. She had already woken up and dressed, though she looked visibly unwell.

"You don't look so well."

"It's nothing." Fox assured her, "Slippy rigged the rooms to alert Rob if any of us had anything contagious."

"Maybe you should get some more sleep." Krystal told her.

"I just need to eat something. Besides, it's probably just a side effect of whatever's happening to me."

Krystal worriedly followed Fox as she walked to the kitchen. Fox ate a banana and began feeling better. The pair then walked to the recreation room.

"I was thinking..." Fara told Fox, "Krystal needs clothes and we need fresh air. Why don't we head down to Corneria. I know a city Katt's friends don't frequent. Why don't we head there today?"

"Fine." Fox told her, "In an hour. This place does get claustrophobic after a while."

"Fox...?" Krystal asked aftera few moments, "I would like to be trained in your style combat."

"What?" Fox was shocked.

"I trained you in Cerinian combat." Krystal explained, "I fought alongside you. It's only fair I get to at least learn Lylatian combat."

Fox groaned. He knew Krystal wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Fine." Fox told her, "Though it's only fair I warn you it's going to be very different from what you're used to."

"Speaking of combat..." Fara interjected.

"You want to learn too?" Fox asked.

"I already learned to fly a craft." Fara explained, "I have some experience in the Cornerian Air Force. I just wish to learn to fly with a team that has a lower mortality rate."

"Fine." Fox groaned, "Tomorrow. And you'll train in a simulator while Krystal and I are away."

"Deal."

Krystal and Fara were excited. Flying a ship like Fox's would certainly help Krystal rid her planet of the invaders and Fara had always dreamt of flying with Star Fox ever since she had first heard the tales of James McCloud.

Fox did not want to think of what she might have just gotten into. Krystal shouldn't be too much of a hassle. The flight simulator would teach her the controls while flights in Fox's Arwing, now with two seats, would get her used to the forces her body would be under. Fara might be tougher or she might be easier.

"Follow me." Fox told the pair. Just down the hall was a room labled "simulator". Inside was a computer and a machine with a door.

"This is the Great Fox's 'War Vehicle Simulator'." Fox explained, "The Great Fox's three war vehicles, the Arwing, Landmaster, and Blue-Marine, all share similar interiors to minimize the training needed to use all three competently. The student climbs into the simulated cockpit while the teacher monitors from the computer. It can simulate a variety of scenarios, from practice flights to chaotic dogfights in poor weather. About the only things it can't properly simulate are the forces your body experiences flying. Krystal, you will be inside this thing tomorrow."

Krystal was excited. She didn't understand some of the things Fox said, but she knew the machines of Fox's people could do some fairly impressive things.

"We should get going soon." Fox told the pair.

"Thank you, Fox." Krystal told Fox, "Thank you for agreeing to teach me. I promise to learn and to fight with the same determination you showed me on Cerinia."

"I also wish to thank you." Fara added, "I promise to learn to fly and fight good enough to join the elite Star Fox Team."

"If Slippy's on the team, it can't be that elite." Fox told her jokingly.

Fox and Fara laughed. Krystal wondered who this "Slippy" was. Apparently, Slippy was infamous for leaving a big mess and is apparently a bad fighter if Fox's comment was anything to go by.

"Let's get going." Fara told the pair, "The place I have in mind has a good restaurant you two lovebirds will enjoy after we get Krystal a more appropriate outfit."


	13. Chapter 13

It was a chilly morning local time when the trio landed their crafts in a small shopping center. While Fox ate at a fast food restaurant, Fara took Krystal into a fairly large clothing store.

"Boots?" Krystal asked, eager to get a pair or two of her own.

"Boots come later." Fara told her, "First, we get you pants and shirts."

Krystal frowned as Fara had her try on various pairs of jeans. Krystal didn't like how constrictive they felt compared to her traditional garb, but decided to wear them out of a desire to experience local dress. She didn't mind the shirts as much, finding more appeal in the various logos and designs than the largely homogenous designs of the pants. Krystal liked the skirts Fara got her even more, being reminded of the loin cloth she usually wore. Fara then got Krystal a hoodie and a coat.

Fara then took Krystal to the formal section of the store. Krystal tried on a number of dresses. Fara bought her a few in various colors.

"Now we get you those boots." Fara told Krystal, who was now wearing jeans and a shirt. Krystal smiled when she saw the variety of boots. Fara measured Krystal's feet and then began picking a few pairs for Krystal to try on.

The first was a comfortable pair of hiking boots. Krystal enjoyed them. The second was a black knee-high pair with a very noticeable heel.

"Fara?"

"They add a little height." Fara explained, "A lot of girls like them and a lot of guys like to see girls in them."

Krystal reluctantly slid the second pair of boots on and zipped them up. Krystal tried taking a few unsteady steps before Fara gave her a thumbs up.

"Lastly, we need to get you some formal shoes."

Krystal sighed as Fara grabbed her some pumps. Krystal put on the red pair and took a unsteady few steps. After Fara gave her a thumbs up, Krystal took off the heels and put her sandals back on.

"Those were my least favorite." Krystal told Fara.

"But you needed a formal pair." Fara explained, "And that's what ladies wear in more formal situations."

Krystal sighed. Did people actually like the added height? Would Fox like to see her in heels? After Fara paid for the clothes, she took Krystal to the ladies' restroom.

"Let's say we surprise Fox with one of your outfits." Fara suggested as she handed Krystal jeans, a shirt, hoodie, and the hiking boots. Krystal thought for a moment before putting the hiking boots back and grabbing the black boots.

Meanwhile, Fox had just finished her meal and was bored. With Fara and Krystal still shopping, Fox thought about where she would take Krystal. Fichina was supposed to be beautiful this time of year. Fox wondered if Krystal had ever seen snow. It could be a great experience for her, assuming she doesn't mind the cold.

Eventually, she saw Fara and Krystal walk out of the store. Fox was surprised to see Krystal wearing a shirt and tight jeans. What shocked her most was seeing her in high-heeled boots. Krystal held back a giggle when she sensed Fox's arousal.

"It seems he likes your new outfit." Fara told Krystal.

"I never thought I'd ever see you in Cornerian clothing." Fox told Krystal.

"They do seem to take some time to get used to." Krystal observed, "Though they do seem better suited for the cooler weather here."

Fox noticed Krystal had some difficulty as she walked closer.

"Are you alright?" Fox asked, "Are you sure you don't need different shoes?"

"It's just a matter of adaptation" Krystal told her, "I'm a Cerinian warrior. I'm not going to be beaten by mere footwear."

Fox could sense Krystal growing increasingly annoyed by her boots, but also a stronger sense of stubbornness.

"Besides..." Krystal added, "I came here to learn about your people and that includes their dress and the reasons behind them. I can definitely sense from you a reason for these boots. I just need to get used to them. Now, shall we walk so I can get a better glimpse of this portion of this planet's terrain?"

"A walk sounds nice." Fara told her, having returned from putting the shopping bags of clothes in her ship, "Just the three of us taking in the local sights and sounds."

"Alright." Fox told her. The three of them began walking down the street. Krystal noted the local style of structures as well as the seemingly desolate roads. Either everyone was away or there wasn't much to do outside at the moment. Perhaps everyone was used to waking up later.

Fox silently offered to help Krystal, but she refused. If she needed help, she'd ask.

Krystal quickly noted how limited her mobility had become. In an ambush, she'd be at a fairly big disadvantage. Pulling back to a better position and chasing after the attackers were both out of the question at the moment. She'd have to stand her ground with inferior balance, though the thin heels did potentially offer a small advantage in close combat. Nowhere near enough to offset the limited mobility, but they could do some damage with a well placed stomp or kick.

Krystal wondered why the boots had the effect they had on Fox. Was it the height? The altered stance? She'd ask, but she didn't expect Fox to know the exact reasons why either.

Krystal couldn't help but wonder. Fox was technically female now, at least in appearance when she didn't wear the bandages. How would Fox look dressed more feminine? She doubted Fox would agree to change her manner of dress any time soon. Krystal tried to visualize Fox in the boots, but gave up. Perhaps if she asked nicely. After all, their feet seemed to be similar in size.

Fara noticed how fixated Krystal seemed to be on Fox and smiled. Fara tended to enjoy a little romance among friends. It was definitely better than the forced romances she'd find in movies, especially action or horror movies said forced romances often ruined. Fara couldn't help but wonder if this romance would eventually fizzle out, self-destruct spectacularly, or continue to grow into a successful marriage.

Fox, meanwhile, could sense Krystal thinking about her. The sense was too vague to find out what, exactly, was on Krystal's mind. Wait. Was Krystal checking out her out? Fox didn't want to ask.

After about an hour, the trio returned to their ships. On their way back to the Great Fox, Krystal decided to ask.

"Fox?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking..." she began, trying to think of the best phrasing to maximize her chance of success, "Would you mind helping me with a bit of my research?"

"What do you need?"

"A better glimpse at the local female style of dress. I'd ask Fara, but I didn't want to impose, so..."

"What do you need?"

"Would you mind donning female dress for me?"

Fox weighed her options. She had no interest, but Krystal was subborn.

"I'll think about it."


	14. Chapter 14

Fara sat down in her room and pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper. The first thing she drew was the two remaining members of the original Star Fox team, James McCloud and Peppy Hare, off to the side. Then she drew the three current members: Fox, Falco, and Slippy. Then she added herself, dressed in the team uniform, behind the vulpine team leader. Finally, she added Krystal, also in a team uniform, with her arms around Fox, erasing a few lines here and there.

Fara put the drawing away with the few books she brought. She began thinking. Did she have what it took? Like Fox and Falco, she graduated top of her class in flight school. She did a few tours in the Cornerian military before her honorable discharge. But these were no ordinary pilots. Well, two weren't ordinary. Could she live up to their reputation or would she flunk out in disgrace for the first time.

"Don't think like that." she scolded herself, "You need this. You're not going back to Katt's psychotic band of miscreants. Better to die fighting for Star Fox than to live with Katt's associates."

Fara then thought of Krystal. She was a little envious of the blue vixen. Krystal had a life in a village to fall back on if things didn't work out here. She also had Fox. If she couldn't hack it as a pilot, he'd probably give her a support role. She also might be more suited for ground combat given her history as a warrior. Fara wished she were that lucky.

Meanwhile, Fox and Krystal had just finished putting the last of Krystal's new clothes away in Fox's room.

"So, what, exactly, did you want me to wear?" Fox asked.

Krystal pulled out a shirt and jeans and handed them to Fox. Fox sighed and undressed, having gotten used to Krystal seeing her naked during her time on Cerinia. Fox then put on the shirt and jeans.

"Is this enough data?" Fox asked.

"One more thing." Krystal said as she removed her boots and handed them to Fox.

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"Put them on." Krystal insisted. Fox relented and put on the boots. She then zipped them up and stood up. After seeing Fox take a few steps, Krystal immediately saw the appeal.

"Never again." Fox growled.

"But it's what your society's females wear." Krystal pointed out, "And you are a female. Plus, I do see the appeal."

"I don't plan on staying female." Fox explained, "We're going to find out how I got this way and how to reverse it before anyone else finds out. I do not plan on having to answer any awkward questions, especially from my dad or Falco."

"What if it can't be reversed? You wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever."

"Now's not the time for a defeatist attitude." Fox sternly told her, "My team didn't become the best in the business with a defeatist attitude."

"And I didn't where I was in my village be being overly optimistic." Krystal countered, "It's all about knowing what can be won and what can't."

"Can I take the boots off now?"

"Not yet. Maybe take a few more steps."

Fox frowned but complied. There was something about the way the boots seemed to mold Fox's legs that Krystal found irresistable. Fox smiled when she sensed Krystal's mood.

"You know... Falco's gone and Fara wouldn't be able to hear us from the recreation room or her room." Krystal pointed out.

"But..." Fox tried to find an excuse, but had some difficulty thinking. All she could think about was sensing Krystal's increasingly strong mood.

"The pants stay on." Fox said as Krystal moved in for a kiss, "And the boots come off."

"The pants stay on... for now."

The pair kissed passionately for what seemed like only a brief moment. Krystal's hands explored seemingly every inch of Fox's body as they fell onto the bed.

"Are you sure you don't want to take things further?" Krystal asked when they stopped momentarily. Fox could feel the desire growing in both their bodies. Fox wanted to satisfy their growing lust, but she prided herself on her professionalism. Professionals had standards and Fox's standards told her to wait and build the relationship, and the need, first.

Krystal didn't know how much more she could take. They had already made love not too long ago, but that was just a mere taste of what she wanted. Her hunger needed to be satisfied.

Fox was starting to regret her decision to deny their growing desire, but the choice was already made. Things would not escalate today and likely wouldn't escalate until Krystal's basic training was over.

Fox removed the boots and handed them back to Krystal. Krystal watched Fox change back into her flightsuit, holding back a groan of frustration. She needed that body. Krystal took a deep breath and did her best to push those lustful thoughts out of her head. She told herself the wait and growing frustration would only make it even better when Fox finally gives in to their shared desires. That is if she could keep herself from ripping Fox's clothes off.

"We need to get you a uniform." Fox told Krystal, "If you're going to be trained as a member of Star Fox, you might as well look the part."

Krystal put her boots back on as Fox put the jeans and shirt back. The pair then left the room. While Fox went to the simulator room to work on Krystal's lesson the next day, Krystal headed for the recreation room.

"What's wrong?" Fara asked, noticing Krystal seemed a little upset.

"My problem is between me and Fox." Krystal explained.

"Did Fox do something?" Fara asked, concerned.

"The opposite." Krystal told her, "All I'll say is there's something I wanted to do that Fox felt should be saved until after my training, if we even get to do it again. The details are incredibly private."

"Oh... ohhhhh."

Krystal could vaguely sense Fara had at least a vague idea of her problem.

"Perhaps sleeping in separate rooms would help make the waiting easier." Fara suggested, "My bed is big enough for a second occupant."

"That won't be necessary. I am a warrior and a priestess. A little self-control isn't out of the question."

"Self-control is good."

"Besides, I still have my boots. I can make the wait just as hard for Fox as it is for me."

Krystal smirked. If she was going to maximize her chances of satisfying her desires, she needed to find and exploit Fox's other "weaknesses". Maybe then they'll have another night neither would ever forget.


	15. Chapter 15

Krystal walked into the dining room wearing a red dress and matching heels. She wondered if the facial make-up was necessary, but Fara assured her it was essential if she wanted to look "fancy".

"Today's lesson is how a proper lady eats in a fancy restaurant." Fara told her, "Cornerian society has a few strict rules that are the result of millennia of cultural evolution. The first thing is the male typically helps the female into her seat as a sign of 'chivalry'. Since Fox is busy at the moment, I'll be acting as the male."

As Krystal sat down in the chair, Fara moved her seat closer to the table.

"You see the utensils in front of you." Fara told Krystal, "Forks on the left and knives on the right. A proper lady, or gentleman in Fox's case, holds the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. When holding them, place your pointing fingers on the back of both utensils to achieve the best leverage for cutting your food. Remember that most foods are eaten with utensils. There are very few exceptions."

Krystal grabbed and held the utensils in the manner instructed and began trying to cut the slab of meat on her plate. She struggled for a few moments, but eventually got the technique down.

"During the meal, you can expect a conversation." Fara explained, "The best conversations involve a topic that interests both of you, but should not involve religion, politics, sex, bodily functions/ fluids, or anything else that might upset and/or disgust the other party or the other people in the restautant."

"What would be a good example?" Krystal asked, "The last thing I need is to embarrass Fox publicly after he agreed to help me."

"Let's try a practice conversation." Fara suggested, "You should be able to find the right topic after a few questions. Anyway, I heard Fox agreed to train you. How is that going."

"Okay, I guess. Before I can fly a proper craft, I need to get used to the controls in the simulator first. Then I'll ride inside his Arwing to get used to the forces I'll experience. Once he's satisfied I've gotten used to the forces, I'll be allowed to pilot a craft for further training."

Fara nodded.

"I've had some training in the Cornerian military myself." Fara told her, "Some trainees had a little difficulty adjusting to the forces, but everyone eventually passed. Of course, standard military training isn't as difficult as Star Fox training. The military focuses on producing as many competent pilots as possible while Star Fox focuses on producing the best of the best... and Slippy."

The pair laughed. Krystal had still yet to meet this mysterious "Slippy" and wondered if he was even real or just a fictitious character created to serve as an example of what not to do.

"Lastly, we'll discuss what to do when the meal is finished." Fara explained, "As a general rule for the fancier places, the male pays for the meal and tip. There are a few exceptions, but this is the general rule."

"Krystal, please report to the simulation room."

The sound of Rob over the intercom interrupted Krystal's lesson on fine dining ettiquette.

"Don't worry about memorizing all the rules." Fara told Krystal, "I'll be there with you two to help you out."

"Thanks."

As she left the dining room, Krystal briefly contemplated returning to her room to change. She chose instead to head to the simulation room, wishing to show off her outfit to Fox.

"The simulator is ready for you." Fox told her as he led her into the room, "Any particular reason for the outfit?"

"Fara was teaching me fancy restaurant ettiquette." Krystal explained, "Plus, I wanted your opinion on the dress."

"Looks nice." Fox told her, "Luckily, it shouldn't interfere too much with the simulator training, especially since we're only going through the basics."

Fox opened the simulator door and helped Krystal inside. After making sure she was properly seated, Fox closed the door and turned on the program on the computer.

"This lesson will be fairly basic." Fox explained over the intercom, "We'll go over a few of the controls as well as taking off and landing in ideal conditions."

Krystal nervously looked at the controls. There were so many buttons, switches, and dials. The only controls she was familiar with was the control wheel.

"The controls you'll need to worry about will light up." Fox told her, noticing her visible distress, "For this first lesson, a lot of the important things are already taken care of. First, you'll need to get the craft to hover. Push the lit-up throttle to the lit-up number."

Krystal looked around and found a lit-up throttle on her right. She pushed it to the lit-up number just to the left of it. The screens simulating the cockpit canopy showed her simulated craft lift off the ground.

"Good. The landing gear will automatically retract in this simulation. Now move the throttle to the right of the previous throttle forward and move the throttle from earlier forward all the way."

Krystal did as she was told, causing the simulated craft to leave the simulated Great Fox.

"Moving the control wheel steers the craft. For now, just move the wheel around to get a feel for the controls."

Krystal turned the wheel to the right, causing her simulated craft to turn in that direction. A few more tilts had her craft moving up, down, and left. After a few more tilts, Krystal got a general idea of how to steer the craft.

"Now it's time to land the craft. A series of rings will appear in front of you. They'll show you the optimal path for beginners. Fly through them to land back on the simulated Great Fox."

Krystal steered the craft through the fairly large rings, nearly missing a few. Before long, the simulated Great Fox was in front of her craft.

"Pull the lit-up throttle down to the lit-up number."

Krystal pulled the throttle down, slowing the craft noticeably. Before long, her craft was back in the landing bay.

"The landing gear will lower automatically. Pull the right throttle back to the middle position and then pull the left throttle down all the way."

Krystal followed the directions, causing the craft to stop and then float down until it was on the ground. The screens then went blank and the simulator door opened.

"You passed the first lesson." Fox told Krystal as she helped her out of the simulator.

"The controls looked complicated." Krystal told Fox.

"Flying's not as complicated as all those buttons and switches make it look." Fox assured her, "Once you're used to the controls, it's just a matter of focusing on what you need to do. You'll only ever need to use no more than a few things at any one moment. A few more lessons and you'll have it down to muscle memory."

"Thank you for the lesson."

"No problem. Let's get something to eat. Tomorrow, we're getting you a new uniform."


	16. Chapter 16

Fox groaned as she climbed out of bed. She looked down and saw the bandages had come undone like they had each of the previous nights.

"I need a better solution." She grumbled as she fixed the bandages. Krystal woke up not too long afterward.

"What are we going to do today?" Krystal asked.

"We're getting you a uniform." Fox answered as she dressed in her usual flight suit, "Maybe Fara too. She seemed to have really wanted to join the team."

Krystal put on a shirt, jeans, and black boots.

"Still wanting to wear those boots?" Fox asked, "You do have those hiking boots."

"It's a part of your culture I need to adapt to." Krystal explained defiantly, "Besides, you can't honestly tell me you don't like them."

"It's not about what I like." Fox explained, "You don't look too comfortable in them."

"I can stand a little discomfort." Krystal told her, "After a while, they stopped being as bad."

Fox rolled his eyes as Krystal zipped up the other boot. Fox wondered if she had motives other than "learning the culture". Knowing her, she likely did. The pair walked to the dining room, where they ate breakfast. Afterward, they headed for the recreation room.

"Mission from Corneria!"

The sound of Rob's voice over the intercom interrupted the quiet morning. Sighing, Fox headed for the bridge and Krystal followed. When they entered the bridge, the message from General Pepper played immediately.

"We have a mission for you." the dog-head hologram told Fox, "There are reports of Andronian activity near the planet of Sauria. From what little communication we've managed to intercept and decode, they appear to be looking for something of 'great power'. Your job is to investigate and report back your findings. All available information on the planet, including all known climate, terrain, and cultural information, has already been sent to you. Upon completion, you will receive your standard payment."

"Great." Fox sighed as she sent a message to Fara and turned to Krystal, "Looks like training is postponed."

Fox looked at her communicator and looked up the information on Sauria General Pepper sent.

"Looks like a lot of tropical forest, snow, and desert." Fox told Krystal, "... And lunar?"

Fox walked to the command console and punched in the coordinates for Sauria. The pair then returned to their room and packed for the variety of climates. Krystal then changed into her hiking boots. Afterward, they headed to the docking bay, where they found Fara waiting for them.

"So, what's the plan?" Fara asked.

"We scan the area before finding a suitable landing spot." Fox explained, "Then we find out what they're after."

Fox and Fara checked their rations before the trio boarded their ships. By now, the Great Fox was orbiting Sauria just out of the expected range of the Andronian forces' sensors. After a quick scan, they found where most of the Andronian activity was occuring.

"Looks like a mostly tropical area." Fox told the others, "There's also a frigid area nearby at a higher altitude as well as a temple complex near the heart of the activity. Looks like there's a secluded area with minimal activity. Follow me."

Fox landed in a small clearing and Fara landed a short distance to the south. Fox climbed out and scanned the area.

"So far, just a few large herbivorous reptiles." Fox told the others as they climbed out, "Closest Andronian activity is about a kilometer to the north. The area appears low-tech."

"What are your orders, team leader?" Fara asked enthusiastically.

"Krystal and I will scout out the few structures nearby." Fox told her, "Scout out the area and report your findings."

"Can do." Fara told her, barely able to hold in her excitement. It may have been a minor scouting mission, but Fara was finally living out her dream of working alongside the famed leader of Star Fox.

While Fara began scouting the area, Fox and Krystal headed for the nearest sign of civilization: a tunnel lined by stone brick. After a quick scan of the tunnel for Andronian activity or structural weaknesses, the pair climbed down the wall at the mouth of the tunnel and ventured in. At the end of the tunnel was a curtain hanging over doorway. Inside, they were greeted by a strange floating reptile.

The reptile spoke in an unfamiliar language to Fox, though Krystal seemed to recognize it.

"It's a dialect of a language spoken by a few on Cerinia." Krystal explained, "He appears to be a merchant offering goods for a literal 'scarab' currency."

"They pay for things with beetles?" Fox asked, confused. Krystal exchanged a brief conversation with the merchant and the two laughed.

"His goods appear to include maps of the surrounding areas as well as a few pieces of tech swiped from the Andronians." Krystal explained, "We should come back when we have a few dozen of the currency."

Fox grimmaced. Though he wasn't afraid of bugs, she did find them disgusting for the most part. Fox and Krystal left the shop and climbed out of the tunnel. Once outside, Fox was greeted by the sight of an additional pair of Arwings landing in the clearing.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Fox asked as James climbed out of his Arwing.

"General Pepper hired me to assist." James explained, "There was an increase in activity after he sent you the message. Peppy's back on the Great Fox with Slippy monitoring the situation."

"Great." Fox said sarcastically as she checked her communicator for messages, "It's not like I needed to know about an increase in enemy activity or that assistance was sent. Just surprise me."

Fara returned moments later.

"There's a store in the tunnel and my dad's here. The lizard... dinosaur shopkeeper speaks something that was apparently also spoken on Cerinia." Fox told Fara, "What did you find?"

"Talking rock." Fara told her, "And Falco's here too."

"He's always there when there's someone to shoot." Fox explained.

"So this is your other hire?" James told Fox, "The millionaire heiress?"

"I was a little short on staff." Fox explained, "Peppy semi-retired, Falco was gone half the time, and Slippy spent far more time working with his uncle. I needed more than a robot and a vixen who's only used to ground combat. Besides, she has some experience and she needed to get away from Katt's friends."

Fox's conversation with her father was interrupted by Krystal's staff suddenly glowing. Fox's staff started glowing before a distant explosion was heard.

"Looks like there was an explosion near a large temple." James explained after reading a message from Peppy on his communicator. Fox was barely able to remain upright as she was overcome by a strange energy.

"Are you okay?" Fara asked Fox, concerned about her team leader.

"Did anyone else feel that?" Falco asked, unaware of Fox's near loss of consciousness.

"There's a large Krazoa presense on this planet." Krystal explained to the group, "That could be what the enemy is after."

Fox managed to regain full awareness.

"We need to investigate the explosion." Fox told the group, "It's likely related to that burst of energy I felt."

"First, we need to get you medical attention." James insisted, "A quick medical check to make sure you're not going to collapse on us in the middle of a firefight."

"Fine." Fox groaned, "But the Andronians need to be stopped as soon as possible. Whatever they're doing, it's definitely not good."


	17. Chapter 17

Fox stood still as James pulled out a portable medical scanner from his Arwing and scanned Fox. After a few moments, the machine found nothing wrong with Fox.

"That can't be right." James said as he puzzled over a few of the machine's findings, "There appears to be a small glitch giving a few weird readings."

"It'll have to wait until we have a better idea of what we're up against." Fox told him, "Right now, we don't know what they're doing. It could be a small side project or we might need to call in the Cornerian military."

Fox had to cut her small speech short as she felt the bandages begin to fail to contain her breasts. The bandages had been designed to be changed daily, not to hold back breasts for days at a time.

"Anything wrong?" Krystal asked.

"We should split up to scout around some more." Fox suggested, "Krystal and I will scout a second structure nearby, Fara will go with Falco to keep him out of trouble, and my dad can explore on his own. Nobody should venture too far, in case they need assistance from the others."

"Like she can keep me out of trouble." Falco scoffed.

"I'm still not convinced you're well enough." James warned Fox, "That glitch could be a sign of bigger problems with the machine."

"I'm fine." Fox insisted, "Plus, I'll have Krystal with me in the event I'm not actually fine."

Fox turned around and began walking toward the other structure.

"Wait."

Fox stopped.

"What is it, dad?"

"We need to do a thorough, more old-fashioned, check." James explained, "Now open up your jacket and flightsuit."

"Dad..."

"That's an order." James told Fox sternly, "Since I never fully retired, I'm still technically the leader of Star Fox as a whole. Now open up your jacket and flightsuit so I can hear your insides better."

Fox hesitated until she saw the growing anger in James's eyes. Reluctantly, she opened up her jacket and flightsuit.

"What's with the bandages?" Falco asked.

"How old are these bandages?" James asked as he examined the wrappings, "They definitely have to go. I have fresh bandages in my first aid kit."

Fox backed away, unwilling to let her secret be discovered by her dad or Falco.

"Grab him." James ordered Falco and Fara. The pair firmly held Fox while James began unwrapping the bandages.

"You know these bandages are too old." James told Fox, "I don't see why you're..."

James was shocked to find a pair of breasts. Everyone was at a loss for words.

"What happened?" James asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

"I don't know." Fox honestly answered, "On Cerinia, they just... grew. I've been hoping to find a way to get it reversed."

"You guys go on and scout ahead." James told the others, "Fox has some explaining to do and I have all day."

"What's there to explain?" Fox asked, "I crashed on Cerinia, I fought some Andronians, the breasts grew, my ship got fixed, and I came back to the Lylat System hoping to avoid this conversation with someone who doesn't take 'I don't know' as an answer."

"Alright. We complete the mission and then we discuss this later. I just need time to process everything."

"He took it better than I expected." Fox told Krystal as soon as James walked out of earshot. The pair walked to the other structure and heard a commotion.

Inside, they found a large dinosaur being assaulted by a group of smaller dinosaurs. A few feet away, an Andronian ape watched the attack and barked a few orders in the same language the shopkeeper used. The pair hid behind a corner to listen.

"What is he saying?" Fox asked as she readied her blaster.

"He's trying to get her to order her people to work in an excavation." Krystal explained as she aimed her staff, "He says his higher ups are upset that they've had to 'recruit' her people one by one."

One of the smaller dinosaurs stopped its assault, sniffed the air, and pointed in the direction of Fox and Krystal. The ape yelled something and the other small dinosaurs stopped their attack and charged toward the foxes.

"He just ordered them to kill us." Krystal warned as she stepped out of their hiding spot and began firing. Fox followed her lead and opened fire on the charging group as well. The ape tried to pull out his submachine gun only to be stopped by a blaster shot to the chest. As soon as the last of the attackers was dead, Krystal ran to the large dinosaur and began speaking in the language.

"She says we need to stop the excavation." Krystal told Fox, translating the dinosaur's words, "They're trying to unleash a great power and tear this planet apart... They wish to harvest an even greater power inside the planet that's far too deep for traditional mining... We need to hurry. They're harvesting it from a temple to the north."

Krystal said something else to the dinosaur and gave a quick bow before she and Fox returned to the clearing. Once there, they were greeted by the other three.

"We just got done talking to one of the tribal leaders." Krystal told the group, "The Andronians are enslaving the locals to dig up what was described as a 'great power' from a temple to the north. From what we were told, that's where the explosion and energy surge from earlier came from."

"So what's the plan?" Falco asked.

"We fight our way into the temple, sabotage the excavation equipment, and liberate the locals." Fox explained, "Judging from the scans from earlier, this appears to either be a small side project for Andross's forces or they're just keeping their forces here small to avoid a direct intervention from Corneria that would seriously slow down their progress. Expect a little resistance from the Andronians, though they appear to have recruited either another faction to their cause or mercenaries. First, we're going to need maps from the locals."

"Their currency is shiny beetles." Krystal added. For the next hour, the five hunted for beetles, placing them in a sack Falco had in his Arwing.

"This should be enough for some maps." Krystal said as she and Fox carried the sack to the shop. They came back with an armful of maps. Everyone pulled out their communicators and scanned each of the maps. The maps lined up perfectly with the data they got from General Pepper as well as the Great Fox's scans. The five then retrieved some supplies from their Arwings and headed out. Hours later, they made it to the temple area just as Solar was beginning to set. While the others set up camp, Fox scanned the area, noting the locations of the Andronian static defenses.

"There are three machine gun nests and a pair of anti-air craft guns." Fox told the group.

"We'll rest here for the night." James told Fox, "We'll plan our attack when we're rested."

After eating some rations, James, Falco, and Fara entered their tents to sleep. Fox, meanwhile, sat down and watched the last rays of Solar disappear over the darkening horizon.

"I know you haven't been in the mood since Cerinia..." Krystal told Fox, "But..."

"I have been in the mood." Fox explained, "I've been in the mood the whole time. But I need to exercise self control."

Krystal frowned. She knew she could convince Fox if she persisted, but she also didn't want to wake everyone.

"Then a kiss." Krystal proposed, "And not a quick peck either."

"In the tent." Fox told her, "Last thing we need is for Falco to walk out of his tent to relieve himself only to get a show afterward for his troubles."

"In the tent, after we've undressed." Krystal added.

"Fine." Fox relented. She needed to get some sleep and wasn't in the mood to haggle all night with Krystal. The pair entered the tent. Fox then zipped the tent shut before they undressed. Krystal struggled to maintain her self control when she got a good look at Fox's naked body. Krystal pulled Fox in for a long, passionate kiss. Fox's body heat made their chastity painful for the blue vixen. She needed relief, they needed relief, but she knew this was the worst time and place. When they were finished, Fox put her flight suit back on to serve as pajamas before crawling into their sleeping bag. Krystal chose to remain naked, hoping to push Fox closer to giving in their needs sooner. After crawling in next to Fox, Fox zipped up the sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep. Krystal wrapped her arms around Fox and took in her scent before she, too, slowly fell asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Krystal woke before Fox and decided to enjoy the latter's warmth. After about half an hour, Fox woke up and unzipped the sleeping bag.

"How did you sleep?" Fox asked as she stood up and stretched.

"I slept okay." Krystal said as she pulled out her loin cloth from her pack, "I would have slept better if you had provided some relief."

"Wearing your loin cloth?" Fox asked.

"It's standard dress for Cerinian warriors." Krystal explained as she grabbed Fox's jacket, "Though I could use some pockets."

"You have pants with pockets."

"And you have more than enough with your flightsuit." Krystal countered as she put on the jacket and zipped it up, "Plus, it smells like you."

After they put on their boots, they waited for the others to wake up. Krystal walked up to Fox and wrapped her arms around her.

"Are you still wanting to remain chaste?" Krystal asked, "We still have some time. It could be hours before the assault."

"My answer is still the same." Fox told her.

Soon, the others woke up and left their tents. James examined the enemy defenses and drew a plan on a piece of paper.

"We'll take out the two anti-aircraft guns first." he explained, "Then we remotely call our Arwings to take out the machine guns. Afterwards, it's just a matter of shooting our way past the remaining defenders. Any questions?"

Nobody spoke up.

"Let's go." James told them. The five climbed down the steep slope and snuck toward the first anti-air craft gun. The gun was an older model. It had a heavily armored front and roof, but lacked armor elsewhere to save on material. Krystal snuck in and took out the gunner with a strong staff swing from behind. Afterward, James approached to take a good look at the gun.

It appeared to fire highly explosive, and very unstable, rounds and was fully loaded. James took out a few plastic explosives, placed them next to the ammunition, set the timer, and motioned for everyone to head for cover. The plastic explosives ignited the unstable ammunition, producing a giant ball of fire and smoke that left a crater.

Sirens started blaring as troops ran around, trying to find the attackers. The five stuck to the shadows as they approached the other anti-aircraft gun. By now, a dozen troops had gathered to defend the gun.

"Stay here and keep them busy." Fox commanded, "I'm going to sneak around and attack from the rear."

The other four found cover and opened fire on the gun. The defenders returned fire. Fox stayed out of sight as she snuck around to the gun's exposed rear.

Fortunately, the gunner was focused on the other three and the guards were behind the wall in front of it. Fox quietly crept to the gun and pulled out a small plastic explosive. He placed it next to the ammunition, set the timer, and ran as quietly as he could to find cover. Ten seconds later, the gun exploded, also taking out the dozen troops defending it.

Fox returned to the group and they pulled out their communicators. They wirelessly linked their communicators and began punching in coordinates. Minutes later, their Arwings came and sprayed the area with laser fire and smart bombs. Within seconds, the machine gun nests were gone and the enemy force was reduced to a mere handful of survivors. The group effortlessly took out the remaining guards and ran into the temple.

The temple seemed familiar to Krystal. She had seen similar architecture on Cerinia. Krystal hoped to get a chance to examine the temple later.

The group eventually found a large chamber filled with guards, machinery, and enslaved locals. Along the walls were destroyed shrines. Broken machinery and charred bodies littered the floor. The five checked their equipment and prepared to attack.

"Aim carefully." James told the group, "Try to keep collateral damage to a minimum. Remember to liberate the 'workforce'."

Fox and Krystal snuck in with their staffs ready and took out a pair of guards. They took out an additional pair of unaware guard while James, Fara, and Falco freed the first local. The remaining guards heard the commotion and opened fire. James returned fire while Fara and Falco tried to outflank the guards. Fox took out another guard from behind before she and Krystal got to work liberating the locals. Eventually, the guards started taking heavy casualties, reducing their numbers from a few dozen to a handful to zero.

With the last guard dead and the last local freed, Krystal approached the only untouched shrine and read the words.

"What does it say?" James asked.

"To gain its benefits, a ritual is required." Krystal explained as she pulled out her and Fox's robes, "This is likely what they were after. They were most likely hoping to obtain this power. The explosion must have occured when they destroyed a shrine. They must not have a priestess, hence the need to look for alternative ways to harnass the power."

Krystal handed a robe to Fox.

"Wear only this, hood up." she explained, "The ritual has a strict dress code. I'll recite the words."

Fox and Krystal changed into their robes and stood in front of the shrine. As Krystal chanted the words on the shrine, the statue's eyes lit up and it's mouth opened. A stream of energy spewed out of the open mouth, enveloping the robed foxes. When the energy stopped, the eyes dimmed, the mouth closed, and the words disappeared.

"That was the last intact shrine in the area." Krystal told them, "We should probably leave before reinforcements arrive."

The group grabbed their packs and headed for the exit. James, Fox, Falco, and Fara punched in commands on their communicator and their Arwings landed just outside the temple shortly after. The five climbed into their ships and took off.

"That should limit their presense in this area of the planet." Krystal explained.

"Let's hope so." Fox replied.

"So now what?" asked Krystal, "The mission's over and your secret's out."

"The plan's still mostly the same. Train you and Fara, fight Andross, and hopefully get this reversed. The only part that's changed is the secret."

"But it was still better to get it off your chest, even if it was by accident."

"You don't know my dad or Falco as well as I do." Fox said with a sigh, "My dad's a feared interrogator, even without 'enhanced techniques, and Falco's a master of making awkward situations worse, usually on purpose. If my dad wants answers, he'll hound me for days without rest until I tell him what he wants to hear."

"I hope you're exaggerating."

The four Arwings landed in the Great Fox. As soon as the Arwings were unloaded, the five left the docking bay. Fox and Krystal were heading for their room when James stopped Fox.

"I know what you're going to ask." Fox told her father, "I really have no idea how it happened or how to fix it."

"Something had to have happened." James told her, "Things like this don't just happen on their own."

"All I know is the change began to happen on Cerinia and I don't know enough about Cerinia to hypothesize any possible explanations."

James sighed.

"What am I going to tell your mother when she inevitably finds out?" he asked.

"Tell her the truth. Tell her we don't know how or why it happened or how to fix it."

"I just need some time to think."

Fox watched as her father walked to the recreation room. Fox then walked to her room.

"How'd the talk go?" Krystal asked.

"Better than I expected, but worse than I'd hoped." Fox told her, "Now that the secret's out, what am I going to do? Even if I get my body changed back, my life's never going to be the same."

"I know what you're going to do. You'll adapt and I'll help you... and we'll need Fara to help too. When we're done, this new life of yours will feel even more normal than your old one."

Fox smiled, which made Krystal smile.

"I just have one request." Krystal told Fox, "Now that your secret's out, act like my girlfriend and that includes dressing the part."

"I'll think about it."


	19. Chapter 19

The rest of the day after the battle went by slowly. James sent General Pepper a report before he, Peppy, and Slippy left. Falco chose to stay and spent the rest of the day testing Fara in the simulation room. Fox and Krystal spent time in their room cleaning their staffs.

Krystal finished cleaning her staff first, which left her with a little free time. Looking at Fox, she wondered about Lylatian courtship. How complicated was it? What were all the rules? She figured the "fancy dinner" Fara taught her about was a part of it, given the different rules for the male and female. What were the other parts?

Fox finished cleaning her staff and put it away.

"What's on your mind?" Fox asked, "You seem a little lost in thought."

"I'm just wondering about Lylatian courtship." Krystal told her, "Cerinian courtship is fairly simple. One makes their interest known and, if the other reciprocates the feeling or is willing to try, they live and do things together to determine compatability. We've already done that, mostly because I was obligated to house and train you by my superior. As long as I'm learning Lylatian ways, I might as well try the local courtship rituals."

"I'll help you learn all about Lylatian courtship." Fox assured her.

"Starting today?"

"Starting today." Fox told her.

"Great." Krystal said as she opened up their closet, "I just have a favor to ask you."

Meanwhile, Falco and Fara had finished the latter's training session.

"I'm impressed." Falco told Fara as she climbed out of the simulator, "You even did better than Peppy, though you're still far from rivaling me or the McClouds."

"Thanks. Your team inspired me to fly in the Cornerian military with the hopes of one day being good enough to join the legendary team."

"You're on your way." Falco assured her, "You've proven yourself on the ground and in the simulator. All that's left is officially testing your skills in a real Arwing. I'll talk to Fox about setting up a test in the asteroid field."

"Thank you. I know I'll make your team proud if I'm allowed to become a full member."

Fara had walked to the recreation room to find Krystal and Fox wearing Krystal's dresses and heels.

"Why were you so insistant?" Fox asked.

"I'm told it's what the females wear." Krystal explained, "And it's no longer a secret that you are female."

"But Falco's still on board." Fox argued.

"Looking good, Fox." Fara told Fox.

"Either kill me or kill Falco before he sees me." Fox told her.

"Stop being so dramatic." Krystal told Fox, "Fara's right. You do look good."

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of Falco's camera.

"Looking good, Foxy." the bird said laughingly, "Red is definitely your color."

"And he took a picture." Fox said, "He didn't just see me, he took a picture."

Falco took a few more pictures.

"When are you leaving again?" Fox asked Falco.

"Katt's friends are looking for me again." Falco explained, "I think it's best I lay low here."

"This never leaves the Great Fox." Fox told the others.

"And if a certain rumor were to spread?" asked Falco.

"Krystal still has a third dress with matching heels." Fox threatened, "It'd be a tight fit, but I'd have a picture to guarantee your silence on the matter. That or Katt's friends have something to talk about the next time they run into a certain bird that hadn't kept his beak shut."

"Someone needs to learn to accept compliments." Falco grumbled.

"I have a favor to ask you." Krystal told Fara, "Could you teach me Lylatian female 'make-up'? I'm interested in looking 'fancy' for my dinner with Fox."

"Yeah, I can teach you." Fara told her, "It's not that complicated. Come to my room and I'll show you."

"Thank you." Krystal said as she stood up and grabbed Fox's hand, pulling her along as Krystal followed Fara. They entered Fara's room and shut the door.

"Why did you drag me here?" Fox asked, annoyed.

"A priestess and warrior such as myself can't leave a job half-done." Krystal explained, "I wanted us to get fancy for our dinner and we are going to get fancy."

"But why was I dragged here?"

"Because I wanted to learn about make-up." Krystal told her, "And what better way than to personally watch it being applied on someone else?"

Fox sighed. What could it hurt? Besides, she knew Krystal would not stop insisting and it was better to get it over with.

"Go ahead." Fox told Fara, knowing she'd likely regret it. Fara opened up her make-up kit.

"This jar is for lashes." Fara explained as she twisted and pulled the lid off, "You use the brush to apply it to your lashes, making them look fuller."

Fara applied the makeup to Fox's eye lashes. She then pulled out a different container.

"This is for the eye lids." Fara continued, "You take the brush and use it to apply the makeup to your eye lids, making your eyes stand out."

Fox closed her eyes as Fara applied the eye shadow. When she was done, she put the eye shadow away and pulled out one last cosmetic.

"This is lipstick." Fara explained as she took the lid off, "You use it to paint your lips, making them stand out." Fara then applied the lipstick to Fox's lips.

"So, what do you think of Lylatian makeup?" Fara asked Krystal, "That only covered some of the basics, but it's enough for a nice dinner."

Krystal was at a loss for words. She didn't expect Fox to look so beautiful.

"The next step, I guess, is to walk you through the process of applying the cosmetics on yourself." Fara told Krystal.

"I'm going to step out." Fox told the other vixens.

"You better not remove that makeup." Krystal warned, "It stays on until it's time for sleep."

Fox grumbled as she walked out the door, only to be greeted by Falco, who began taking pictures again.

"Take one more picture and see what happens." Fox warned. Falco took another picture, calling what he assumed was Fox's bluff.

"You now have two options." Fox told Falco, "You can dress up like me, complete with makeup, have a few pictures taken, and 'enjoy' dinner with us or the friends of a certain cat will find out where a certain blue bird is hiding."

Falco gulped, sensing Fox's seriousness.

"You have five minutes to either wait in my room or go to your Arwing before I hide Fara elsewhere and call Katt's friends."

"You wouldn't."

"I would." Fox warned, "Now go before I make the dress your new uniform."

Fox watched as Falco walked down the hall. She knew what Falco would choose. Moments later, Krystal walked out of the room.

"You look great." Fox complimented.

"Thanks."

"Let's head to our room." Fox suggested, "And maybe borrow the makeup from Fara."

"What do you need the makeup for?" Krystal asked.

"I just need it to assert my authority." Fox told her, "I'll wait for you in our room."

Krystal returned to Fara's room while Fox sped-walked to her room. She was surprised how well she was adapting to the heels. Soon, she made it to her room.

Inside, Falco was sitting on the bed.

"You're not seriously going through with this, are you?" Falco asked nervously.

"I warned you and I always follow through with my warnings." Fox told him as she pulled out a dress, "Now either undress down to your boxers and cooperate with me and Krystal or prepare to hang out with Katt's friends."

Krystal soon walked in with the makeup.

"I may need help dressing a bird." Fox told Krystal as she handed Falco the dress. The now-semi-naked bird slipped his legs into the garment and pulled it up. Falco sucked in his gut while Fox pulled the dress up and pulled the zipper. It was an extremely tight fit, but the zipper eventually reached the top. Fox then stepped back to look at Falco. While the dress would have almost reached the floor on Fox or Krystal, it left half of Falco's calves exposed. Fox then pulled out the heels.

"I may need some help here." Fox told Krystal. Falco lifted up his foot and Fox began slipping the heel onto it. She struggled to slip the shoe on, but could tell it would eventually 'fit'. Seeing Fox's struggle, Krystal began assisting. Eventually, they managed to force Falco's foot into the shoe, securing it with the strap. A few minutes later, they had the other heel on Falco's other foot.

"Finally, the cosmetics are applied." Fox told Krystal, "Would you please demonstrate on Falco what you learned?"

Krystal applied the makeup to Falco. When Falco stood up and tried to walk, Fox began taking pictures.

"I must admit you don't look bad." Fox told Falco, "I'm serious. Change the voice and you could pass yourself off as female."

"I'm just glad this is just for today." Falco grumbled.

"You never know when we might need a fourth girl for a ' girl's night out'." Fox pointed out teasingly, "Now leave and go about your day or I will make this your uniform."

Falco walked unsteadly out the door. He just hoped Fara didn't catch him in the dress.

"Do I even want to know?"

Falco turned around to find himself face-to-face with the fennec.

"Fox's orders." Falco explained.

"Hey, it's none of my business how you live your life." Fara told him, "Was it Fox's orders, though, or was it your choice?"

"It was my choice not to have Fox call Katt's friends over." Falco said as he walked toward the recreation room.

"Your new look looks good!" Fara told Falco before he was out of earshot, "Why don't I get dressed up too?"

Fara returned to her room. Opening a chest, she looked through her clothes until she came across a pink dress with matching heels.

"Why not?" she asked herself, "Even Falco's dressed pretty."


	20. Chapter 20

"Well?" Fara asked as she showed off her outfit to the others in the recreation room, "What do you think?"

"You look great." Krystal told her. Fara was wearing a long pink dress with matching gloves and heels.

"Thanks."

"I think my mom has a dress like that." Fox told Fara.

"It was fairly popular." Fara explained, "Especially among fennecs."

"I can see why." Krystal told Fara.

"What does everyone want for dinner?" Fox asked the group, "I can have a fully cooked dinner delivered here tonight."

"I'm not familiar with what your people would eat at a fancy dinner." Krystal told her.

"You know I'll eat anything." Falco said.

"Why don't we go out to eat?" Fara asked, "I can order a dinner reservation for tonight."

"Absolutely not." Falco protested, "I don't have anything formal to wear."

"You're already wearing formal." Fara pointed out, "And it would further Krystal's education."

"I'm not going out in public in a dress." Falco told her.

"I would like to experience this part of Lylatian culture." Krystal told the group.

"You guys can go without me." Falco told Fara.

"He did disobey orders with that camera." Fara told Fox.

"Fox, you know this is too far." Falco told Fox.

"Slap on a wig and nobody will recognize you." Fara told Falco, "Think of it as espionage training. Besides, I already made reservations and I'm not letting a four-person reservation go to waste."

"You didn't." Falco told her.

"I did." Fara told Falco, "I'll let you borrow a wig. Nobody knows Krystal and I are team members, so you'll have plausible deniability if anyone thinks you're actually you."

"I'm still upset about the pictures." Fox told the group, "Fara, would you mind 'training' Falco so that he doesn't blow his 'cover'?"

"Can do."

"Don't screw this up." Fox warned Falco, "Not for our sake, but for yours. I don't want anyone outside of us four even suspecting you're Falco."

Sensing defeat, Falco struggled to walk in his heels as he followed Fara to her room. He had hours to learn how to be a convincing lady.

Fox sat down on the couch and thought for a moment. Star Fox has traditionally stuck with a more direct approach to fighting the enemy. Could they engage in espionage? Could they infiltrate the enemy, gather intelligence, and sabotage them from the inside? Probably, but it would be risky. It would be better to leave espionage to the professionals.

Fox then thought about Krystal's tour of the system. So far, she got to go shopping, visit two worlds, dress in Cornerian clothing, and is going to experience fine dining. Perhaps a trip to Fichina? Had Krystal ever seen snow before? Fox had no idea if her village on Cerinia was permanently warm and tropical or if it had the four seasons Fox was used to. There was also her training. She needed her to complete her Arwing training, or at least enough of it to properly fly under realistic conditions.

Lost in thought, Fox almost didn't notice Krystal sit down next to her. She felt Krystal's arms wrap around her.

"I was just thinking about your tour of the Lylat System." Fox told Krystal, "There's still so much you've yet to see."

"Right now, all I want to see is my favorite vixen."

Fox smiled at the comment, her thoughts immediately turning to the future after Krystal's tour and training are finished. Would their relationship continue or would they have to go their separate ways? Would Krystal return to Cerinia while Fox continued defending the Lylat System? Or would they continue to stay together? Did she want to learn about Lylatian courtship because it was an aspect of the people she wanted to learn about or was it because she wanted to show how serious she was about their relationship?

If they married, how would they do it? Fox wasn't opposed to simply going to a courthouse, but would Krystal want a more traditional ceremony? Would it be according to Cerinian or Cornerian tradition? Perhaps a hybrid?

"Thinking about us?" Krystal asked. While she could sense the general idea of Fox's thoughts, she didn't sense the specifics.

"Just thinking about what happens after you complete your tour and training." Fox explained, "There are so many things to take into account."

"Whatever happens, we'll make it work." Krystal told her, "I know we love each other enough to work something out."

"Do you think Falco could lead a team?" Fox asked, "I mean, he's one of the best pilots in the entire system, but does he have what it takes to lead?"

"Thinking of leaving the team in the hands of Falco?" Krystal asked Fox.

"It is a possibility. I could retire, die, or get too sick or injured to lead the team. It's always important to have a back-up plan for when the unforeseen happens."

"He can learn." Krystal assured Fox, "If he doesn't have good leadership skills now, he'll develop them eventually."

"I hope you're right."

A few hours later, the team boarded a vehical Fara had rented and flew to the restaurant Fara had booked. After a few moments, they were seated at their table.

"I'm a little nervous." Krystal told the group, "I hope I don't embarrass you. I'm still a little unfamiliar with Lylatian eating customs."

"You're nervous?" Falco asked in disbelief, "You don't have to worry about somebody recognizing you."

"And nobody will recognize you if you remember your training." Fara told Falco, "Tonight, you are a lady. Turn back into your normal loudmouth self and the entire system will immediately recognize you."

"You better be right." Falco warned Fara, "If you're wrong, let's just say I won't be the only one hunted down by certain associates of Katt."

A few minutes later, the waiter comes and they all order their drinks.

"So, how do you think your mom's going to take the news?" Falco asked Fox.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Fox answered, "It's not like I don't already have enough on my plate at the moment."

Falco nodded.

"How do you think Katt would react to your new outfit?" Fox asked Falco.

"Who knows?" Falco replied, "She can be hard to predict. She may love it or she may try to claw my face off. Maybe both."

"It would be best to not find out." Fara added.

"Katt's the last person we need." Fox said.

"We need to do this more often." Fara told everyone, "Just four gals hanging out. Falcy needs a better fitting outfit, though."

"Falcy?" Falco asked, "Are we doing nicknames now or are you trying to give me an alias that all but reveals who I really am?"

"Nickname." Fara answered, "What alias would you give yourself, though?"

"This is stupid." Falco complained.

"You never know when you'd need an alias." Fox pointed out, "Especially in the event you need to return to Corneria and might risk running into Katt's friends."

"Fine." Falco told her, "Veronica is the first name that comes to mind."

A few moments later, the waiter returned with their drinks. They quickly ordered and then returned to their conversation.

"There's a second scenario of when you might need an alias." Fox explained to Falco, "You want to gather some intelligence, but you have to get close. Falco wouldn't be allowed to get close, but Veronica might. You sneak in, acting like you actually belong there to avoid suspicion, and plant a recording device or two when they aren't looking. You eventually leave, but not too soon lest they become suspicious of you."

"You've really thought that one out." Fara told Fox.

"It's been on my mind for awhile." Fox admitted, "Ever since Fara brought up espionage. Falco could pass himself off as Veronica."

"He does look good in a dress." Fara added.

"We all do." Fox pointed out.

"Can we please change the subject?" Falco asked.

"I think we are upsetting Veronica." Fara told Fox, "Let's change the subject."

"Fine." Fox said, "Anyone else have a topic to discuss?"

"I'd like to talk about the Krazoa." Krystal suggested, "I always knew they had power, but enough to justify spending manpower and resources on the invasion of planets?"

"What are Krazoa?" Falco asked, "Not everyone here is familiar with Cerinian stuff."

"They are blue glowy beings of energy." Krystal explained, "They've been confirmed to have a significant presense on two planets in two different systems. They could have been why Andross colonized Cerinia. Originally, we thought they were trying to gain resources and slave labor far from their main foes."

"So, you now believe the Andronians invaded your planet for these glowy things?" Falco asked.

"I wouldn't have suspected you'd be interested in the Krazoa." Fox told Falco, "I would have thought you'd say they were stupid and call it a day."

"It beats talking about 'Veronica'." Falco pointed out.

The waiter soon came back with their food.

"How am I doing?" Krystal asked as she awkwardly cut her steak with her knife and fork.

"You're doing alright." Fara told her, "How do your people eat their food?"

"We eat with our hands." Krystal answered honestly, "We never really saw a need to develop eating utensils. We also didn't see a need for 'formal' attire outside of very specific ceremonies."

Fara nodded.

"Not that I mind your concept of 'formal' eating." Krystal continued, "It's just a little out of my comfort zone."

"Is this something you'd want to do again?" Fara asked.

"Maybe. It would help me learn your customs better."

Falco looked out the window and almost panicked.

"What is it?" Fox asked.

"Katt." Falco answered, "What is she doing here?"

"Who knows." Fox replied, "Let's just finish our meals and not draw any attention to ourselves."

The four finished their meals in silence. Fara then paid for the meal and Fox paid the tip. They had just barely made it out of the restaurant when Katt approached the four.

"Falco?" she asked, "Is that really you... in that?"

Falco held back a curse and tried his best to pretend he didn't know her.

"And with Fara?" Katt added, "And two other vixens?"

Falco resisted the urge to flee, knowing his heels would only slow him down significantly.

"If this is what you're into, I could have gotten you heels that fit." Katt continued.

"This doesn't leave this group." Falco told the feline.

"Obviously." Katt told him, "Why don't you pay me a visit sometime. We can work on your wardrobe and maybe get some fun time afterward. Anyway, have fun with your vixens."

"See ya." Falco told Katt.

"Bye." the others told her.

The four boarded their rental vehicle and returned to the Great Fox. Falco just hoped Katt would stay quiet about that night.


	21. Chapter 21

The next day, Krystal resumed her training in the simulator.

"It'll be the same as last time." Fox assured Krystal, "Just focus on getting used to the controls. After a few times, the controls won't light up and you'll have to rely on your training. A few more times and the rings will be disabled."

Krystal nodded as she closed the simulator door. She took a deep breath and grabbed the control wheel.

"It's just a simulation." she reassured herself. After a few moments, she had her virtual Arwing in the air and was getting a feel for the controls. After a few minutes, Krystal got a prompt to return to the virtual ship. A minute later and she was in the landing bay.

"You did great." Fox told Krystal, "Let's try that again, but with a set of rings to fly through before you return to the ship."

Fox altered a few settings before restarting the simulation. Like before, Krystal took off and had her craft under control. A path of rings appeard in front of her ship. Krystal began flying through them when Fox got a call from his parents on his communicator.

"Hello." Fox greeted.

"Your mother and I are coming for a visit." James told Fox, "She's a little worried about you."

"There's nothing to be worried about." Fox told him with a sigh.

"You left the system a man and came back with breasts." James countered, "You don't go through changes like that and expect her to act like nothing unusual happened. We'll be there in an hour."

"Fine." Fox groaned, "Just don't make a big deal out of it. I have enough to worry about at the moment with training new members and dealing with the Andronian threat. In fact, I'm in the middle of training one of them right now."

"I'll see you in an hour. James out."

Seeing that Krystal had just landed her craft, Fox turned off the simulation.

"My parents are coming in an hour." Fox told Krystal as she stepped out of the simulator.

"Should I change?" Krystal asked, "I'm sure they'd probably prefer Cornerian clothes."

"Your loincloth's fine." Fox assured her, "But it's up to you."

"I just want to make a good first impression with your mother." Krystal explained.

"She already met Falco." Fox told her, "The bar is already low. Just relax."

Fox walked down the halls, making sure everything was clean while Krystal returned to their room. She mentally went through her training on Lylatian customs.

"Makeup." Krystal told herself, "Lylatian women pride themselves on proper makeup application." Opening up a drawer, she pulled out the makeup Fara had lent her and carefully applied it according to Fara's instructions. She then looked through her clothes and footwear. Were her sandals good enough? Fox may think she looked good enough, but Krystal had a culture to figure out.

Meanwhile, Fox was cleaning a mess Falco had left in the dining room. When she had finished, she looked at her watch and she saw she had a few minutes left.

"Why today?" Fox asked herself. Sighing, she sat down in the recreation room and waited. Krystal joined her not long after. Minutes later, James and Vixy walked into the room.

"Fox?" Vixy asked in shock, "What happened to my boy?"

"Nobody knows." Fox told her, "I left a man and came back a woman."

Vixy stepped back and collected herself. "James warned me." she told herself, "I thought he was exagerating and maybe my son came back having developed a few mannerisms considered feminine on Corneria."

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Krystal." Fox told Vixy. Vixy looked at Krystal.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Krystal told Vixy.

"Is she..." Vixy whispered to James.

"She's his girlfriend." James whispered back.

Vixy examined the blue vixen more closely. Krystal was covered in what looked like tattoos, which Vixy wasn't thrilled about. Nonetheless, Krystal still appeared friendly.

"This is a lot for me to take in." Vixy told Fox.

"It was a lot for me too." Fox told her.

"And this team you're training?"

"Just Krystal and Fara Phoenix." Fox told her. Vixy's eyes went wide.

"You're training the millionaire?"

"Me and Falco." Fox told her, "Mostly Falco until I get Krystal ready to fly a real Arwing."

Vixy sat down, trying to process everything.

"I have a daughter." Vixy told herself, "I've always wanted a daughter, but not like this... But I have the daughter I always wanted ever since I was a little girl... But the daughter I have was my son."

"Can I get you anything?" Fox asked.

"Just sit down for a moment." She told Fox, "I need to process this."

Fox sat down. A few moments later, Vixy finally calmed down.

"I'm okay with this." Vixy told Fox, "I'm still shocked, but I can deal with these developments."

"That's good."

"How thorough was this change?" Vixy asked.

"I still haven't gone through... it." Fox admitted, "It's making me a little nervous."

"And you're fine with me?" Krystal asked, "I'm still trying to learn your customs and rules. I fear I'm underdressed and may commit a faux pas in front of my lover's parents."

"You're fine." Vixy told Krystal.

"I have Cornerian clothing if that's more culturally acceptable." Krystal explained, "I have pants, dresses, heels..."

"You're good." Fox told her.

"Your father's birthday is soon." Vixy told Fox, "Why don't you dress up nice and bring your girlfriend?"

Krystal was excited.

"So, how far are you two in your relationship?" Vixy asked.

"Mom!" Fox told her, almost shouting.

"Still in the courtship phase." Krystal answered, "We probably would have gone further sooner, but I'm learning your customs. We could enter the marriage stage soon."

"That's good." Vixy told her.

Fox sat down on the couch, still feeling stressed about the situation. Everything about the situation felt awkward.

"Sooo..., you're from Cerinia?" Vixy asked Krystal, wanting to get to know her... son's?... daughter's girlfriend better, "What's that planet like?"

"Warm and foresty." Krystal answered, "Or at least my village is. I can't answer for the rest of the planet."

"And what do you do there?" Vixy asked.

"I'm a warrior and a priestess. I've fought alongside your offspring against the Andronian invaders."

Vixy nodded.

"And how is life in the Lylat System?" Vixy asked.

"Okay, I guess." Krystal answered, "I haven't been here long enough to get a good enough picture, but I'm learning the customs. Last night, I had my first fancy dinner."

Fox relaxed a bit. Things weren't turning out as awkward as she had feared. Minutes later, Falco walked into the room.

"Katt wants me at her place." Falco told Fox, "She mentioned needing to bring me along for a little shopping."

"And if you refuse?" Fox asked.

"Fox, she has blackmail material on me." Falco answered, "Either I go or she talks about last night with her friends."

"What happened last night?" Vixy asked Krystal.

"We met Katt after dinner." the blue vixen answered honestly.

"The details are on a need-to-know basis." Falco told the older vixen, "And I need everyone else to not know."

"I already promised him I'd keep my mouth shut." Fox told her mother, "Let's just say bad things will happen if Katt's friends find out."

"What could possibly so bad that..."

"I already told Falco I'd keep it a secret." Fox said, interrupting Vixy, "Krystal and Fara already agreed to keep the details a secret for Falco's sake. All anyone else needs to know was that nothing illegal happened and nobody got hurt."

Falco looked at his communicator and held back a curse.

"I have to go... now!" Falco told the group as he headed for his Arwing, "Fox, if I give the signal, hop into your Arwing and bomb the area."

"What happened last night?" Vixy asked again.

"Again, that information is classified." Fox told her mother, "I'm not going to break Falco's trust, so please drop the subject."

"Sooo..., Krystal mentioned something about marriage?" Vixy asked.

"We're getting there." Fox answered, "In fact, we'd be a lot closer, but Krystal wanted to try out Cornerian courtship customs. She's been interested in experiencing other cultures since before we even met."

Vixy nodded.

"I've dreamt of seeing my son marry the woman of his dreams." Vixy revealed, "There'd be a big wedding where all the friends and family members would be invited."

"Wedding?" Krystal inquired.

"It's a ceremony where the couple are officially married, usually with family and friends witnessing the ocassion." Fox explained, "It's kind of a mix of a solemn ceremony and a party celebrating said ceremony."

Krystal's interest was piqued.

"I need to know more." Krystal told Fox, "How do we celebrate? What is worn? How and where do we perform the ceremony?"

"It's a pretty big subject." Vixy told the blue vixen, "There's so much planning and it begins with a proposal, usually months before the actual event."

"I didn't think you'd be so interested." Fox told Krystal.

"It's a big ceremony that's not done on Cerinia." Krystal explained, "It's also a big ceremony we'll have to go through if I am to experience Lylatian culture adequately. I need to know."

"Traditionally, it begins when the man proposes." Vixy explained, "He gets on one knee and asks her for her hand in marriage. If she accepts, he..."

Fox left the room and headed to the kitchen for a snack. She opened a cabinet and took out a small bag of chips.

"Why did they have to come?" Fox asked herself, "We were already going to Dad's birthday party. Today was supposed to be about training Krystal."

Fox opened the bag and began eating.

"At this rate, we'll have to postpone Krystal's return to her village."

Fox thought about it.

"Would I move in with her or would she return to the Lylat System with me?"

Fox wondered about the options. Living in separate systems was out of the question. Krystal would probably love living in the Lylat System, but it was also likely too crazy for her to tolerate for long.

A few minutes later, the bag was emptied and Fox returned to the recreation room. She found Vixy showing Krystal wedding things on the computer.

"We need to do that." Krystal told Vixy, "Before I return to Cerinia... or after. I need this Cornerian ceremony party thing."

Krystal turned around, having sensed Fox's return.

"Fox, we've had feelings for one-another since our time on Cerinia." Krystal began as she walked toward Fox, "We fought together. We repaired your ship together. We've trained one-another in our respective combat styles. We've formed a bond and now it's time to make it official in accordance to the rules of your culture."

Fox had a suspicion where this was going. Confirming her suspicion, Krystal got on one knee in front of Fox.

"Fox, will you marry me."

"Of course I will." Fox told her, "And if it's truly what you want, we'll do the ceremony."

Krystal smiled.

"Thank you, Fox."

"We have so much planning to do." Vixy told the couple, "We need to pick a venue and a date. We need to invite so many people. We'll need to get Krystal a wedding dress."

"And one for Fox." Krystal pointed out, "It is what the females traditionally wear, after all."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Fox asked herself.

"A wonderful part of your culture that I get to share with you." Krystal answered.

"We'll handle most of the preparations." Vixy assured Krystal, "Just worry about the dress, what kind of a venue you want, and where you'd go on your honeymoon."

Krystal thought about it for a moment. A church seemed the most traditional, according to what she had learned, but outdoor weddings were increasingly popular and did have their own appeal. And if they did an outdoor wedding, where would they hold it? A beach? An open field? Fichina was also a popular choice for those that didn't mind the cold.

"There's so much to choose from." Krystal told Vixy, "Back on Cerinia, the choices would have been 'temple', 'village' and 'forest'."

"You'll pick something." Vixy assured, "Don't overthink it. Just go with what you and Fox prefer. It is your shared special day."

Krystal nodded. She would eventually decide.

"Thank you." Krystal told the older vixen, "For now, I'll focus on today's training."

Vixy watched as Fox and Krystal headed for the simulator. Someday soon, her child was going to get married.


End file.
